Outstanding! Every sentence in this book had me gripped. It was non stop edge of your seat stuff from page one right through to the closing sentence! It’s an action packed thriller which had me really emotional at the end. I loved it. I’m going to have that great book emptiness after this for sure.

Thnks Netgalley and the Publisher. This has to be a best seller, it was absolutely brilliant. I loved it and could not put it down.

This page turner, and it certainly was that, had a few negatives amongst the compelling positives! The whole feel of the book, it’s narrative , the descriptions of the locations together with the character names felt far more American than British plus I found Elissa’s age a little incredulous. A few events took a little believing too, i.e., Kyle being allowed free range in the garden and the ease with which he was taken plus Elissa conveniently remembering mobile numbers and e mails as did Elijah/ Kyle! However, despite these incredulities I found it difficult to put the book down and was totally engrossed right up to the story’s thrilling conclusion! Would I recommend it.? Oh yes!

Lock the doors, draw the curtains and don’t answer the phone just read this addictive, fabulous book !!
It is 100% going to be massive hit and wow does it deserve it really is that good and one not to be missed.
The story is told from three perspectives Elissa the girl who is abducted, Elijah who has lived in the memory wood as long as he can remember and Mairead MacCullagh the detective desperately struggling with her own personal problems but putting all that aside to try and find the missing Elissa. It’s a read full of atmosphere, chilling and always with the underlying feeling that all is not as seems as Elissa tries to make sense of her abductor and the strange and complicated Elijah.
A story that creeps up on you and has some stunning twists and I’m not going to say much more about the plot as just read it for yourselves it’s brilliant from page one and the pace just doesn’t let up.
Twisted, dark, clever, compulsive and I just never guessed the many shocking surprises which for me always makes a superior read and it’s going to be one of my favourites of this year !!
My thanks to the wonderful Sam Lloyd, NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press for giving me the chance to read the ARC of this amazing book in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's hard to write a book successfully from a child's viewpoint, and The Memory Wood gets it just right. The girl is believable and real, and it really ramps up the tension - a chilling and creepy tale of one girls bravery and determination to survive.
I loved the time line - I got real heart in mouth when we see Elijah talk about someone in past tense, and I had to read read read to find out exactly what happened.
An excellent twist ending, and a thoroughly enjoyable thriller that made me very, very tense! Recommended for all thriller lovers.

Not only are the police and the victim kept guessing with this one. The reader could, at first, be forgiven for thinking this is a straightforward abduction story but it soon becomes evident that Lloyd has a more complicated and twisted plot in mind.
Perpetrator becomes victim or does he? Even he is unsure as to what is true and what is imagined. But, as much as this could sound merely confusing, you find yourself horribly involved and desperate for some sort of happy ending.
Lloyd quite successfully evokes feelings of sympathy, horror and despair with this as the reader is told the story from the standpoint of both perpetrator and victim. A definite recommend if you prefer a crime story with a psychological sway to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers (Penguin Random House) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Good grief this is an all nighters all right ! What a thrilling read ! Wonderful characters that are expertly drawn pull you into a strange twisted tale that will keep you guessing.

Sympathetic characterisation helps enormously, each has his or her own tale and it’s told from the different perspectives. I am really hoping that there is a next novel in Mairéad’s story line as it feels like there is unfinished business there.

Thank you for allowing me to read this, the pleasure has been all mine

What a rollercoaster of a ride. Once I started this I could not put it down. A thirteen year old girl Elissa is attending a chess tournament when she is abducted and taken to a cellar in an old cottage in The Memory Wood. A young man Elijah who lives on the other side of the wood finds Elissa and befriends her. Her actual abductor is sinister he has an eerie presence and visits her erratically demanding that she understands his requests . She soon learns to do what he asks ever hoping that Elijah will eventually help her.
This book was captivating, dark, psychological and uncomfortable to read but so worth it. For anyone who enjoyed the twist of Psycho will definetly find this a worthy read. It could be great portrayed onto a big screen. Would absolutely recommend.

I loved loved loved this book! It was brilliant! It had so many twists and turns and I have never wanted a happy ending as much as I did for Elissa and Elijah. It was very well written, I honestly couldn’t put it down, it really is the best book I’ve read in a while, it actually made me cry at one point. I cannot wait for the next book by Sam Lloyd.

This is the story of a child abduction. A 13 year old girl goes missing during a chess tournament. At first it sounds like a normal abduction story but along the way it reveals a more complicated and intricate plot. When Elissa awakes in a pitch dark cellar she fears her abductor, who she calls "the ghoul" but who is the 12 year old Elijah who also visits her? Will he help her? If not willingly will she manage to trick him into sending out messages for help? An excellent and unusual story!

Wow!!! This is a book that will have thinking and dreaming about it, well that's what I did when I couldn't read it, and will stick in my head. This isn't your usual psychological thriller, nor is it the usual child abduction.
This is brilliantly written and will have you on the edge of your seat, it will also have you questioning every character.
I honestly can't say anymore except I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend to everyone.

Elissa, a thirteen year old girl is abducted and taken to The Memory Wood. There she meets Elijah, a boy that seems to know more about The Memory Wood than he is letting on. But discovering Elijah's secrets and getting him onside may be her only chance of survival.

Wow, this book! I read this in less than two days, I could not put it down. Absolutely compelling. Elissa was such a a fantastic character, super smart and determined. The way she dealt with what happened to her was inspiring. I feel like I held my breath for this entire book. It took me ages to recover from all the emotions.

Elijah was so well written and his journey had me turning the pages as fast as I could. The story was fast paced, chock full of emotional beats and that ending! Wow wow. Loved it, highly recommend. What a brilliant debut.

Huge thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an outstanding thriller and one of the best novels I have read in a long time. The story of a girl who is abducted and then encounters someone who may be her only hope of salvation does nor scratch the surface of what happens in this book, but to say any more would completely spoil it. The first third of the book is horribly creepy, the writer sets out the various characters involved in the plot but keeps a lot of it shrouded in mystery. We get really clear pictures of the main characters on the victims side, but much more veiled insights into the other characters. I really did find a lot of the first half of the book disturbing and unpleasant, but in a good way, the tension was built to almost breaking point at some stages. The main characters are really believable with lives and problems of their own to deal with, which makes for well rounded characters rather than the cookie cutter police/family member/victim tropes that can creep into these types of story.

The second half of the book goes at breakneck speed and is revelation after realisation after twist, it's an rollercoaster. But every turn in the plot makes perfect sense when you view the piece as a whole, and never stretches your belief. The author employs the trick of showing events from different characters perspective, and its' only when you piece together a few of the accounts you see what the true flow of events is, and this is done really skilfully.

The finale was superb, and I know people say 'I couldn't put it down' but in this case I did have to. As I was about 90% of the way through, but was shattered, I had to put the book down because I wanted to be alert for when I read the final 10%, I put aside a specific time to sit and read it when I wouldn't be disturbed because I really wanted to enjoy the ending. It's a long time since I have done that with a book, and I wasn't disappointed. The author does a great job of keeping you guessing as the final scenes play out and I wasn't sure until I had reached the very end how it would finish.

An exceptional novel, I loved it.

A disturbing read, tough at times due to the subject matter. It's very cleverly done and leaves you wondering - who is lying? What is true and what is imagined? The main character, Elissa, is great! I was rooting for her the whole way, which was why some of the scenes were hard to read. Very dark and very twisted! Read with the lights fully on.

Billed as the must read book of 2020 and described as chilling, moving and unputdownable, “The Memory Wood” is certainly a book to be looking out for next year and was admittedly a read I did not expect.
“Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember. It’s the only home he’s ever known. Elissa has only just arrived. And she’ll do everything she can to escape......” With a premise as intriguing as that, it was impossible not to get addicted to the story from the very first page. Due to the twists and turns in the plot, you’re really kept on your toes and the emotional rollercoaster you’re on when the story plays out, really draws you in and doesn’t let go. Told from the perspective of three characters only - frail twelve year old Elijah, thirteen year old chess prodigy Elissa and DS Mairead MacCullagh, I liked how the chapters overlapped between Elijah and Elissa and how they expressed their intense thoughts and feelings. Mairead’s personal and emotional issues during the investigation into Elissa’s disappearance was truly palpable and my heart went out to her when she discovered her worst fears had come true again. The author chose a denouement that was both powerful and emotionally charged and I’m not frightened to admit I did feel tearful during the last few pages. The first half of the book was a slow build and often a little repetitive but this created a sinister and creepy atmosphere. The second half kicked off with a cruel race against time and I couldn’t help but be totally invested in the rescue of Elissa. She was a very clever, mature and likeable girl and the author has created a brilliant character that showed strength and determination not to leave her mother alone should she die.
Written by Sam Lloyd, I understand the germ of the idea came when he drove his son to a chess tournament at a busy secondary school venue and a wife who constantly worried about imagined nightmare scenarios involving their first born son. Something every parent at some point imagines and which is totally relatable and normal. The author then plotted the story around these events and ended up with a novel that’s unforgettable, nightmarish and totally unique.
Fantastically written, tensely plotted and perfectly executed, I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Memory Wood”, it had everything I like from an original thriller and I expect it to be a much sought after bestseller as soon as it’s released.
5 shiny but creepy stars!

If this isn’t a best seller in the making I’ll eat my rather stylish trilby! This is a book that makes your eyes pop, inhale and forget to exhale, your jaw drop and utter the odd (mild obviously) expletive and sometimes all four at the same time which probably isn’t pretty. To sum up what this story is about is hard but basically the central aspect is the abduction of 13 year old Elissa Mirzoyan whilst she attends a chess competition in Bournemouth. She is manacled in the cellar of a ‘Gingerbread House’ in the creepy ‘Memory Wood’ where she realises that she is not the first occupant which crystallises her desire to survive her ordeal. Elijah lives in a cottage in the woods, he is friendless and not at all worldly wise. They become Hansel and Gretel and what ensues in this terrifying story is so twisty it’s tortuous. Just as you think you have the answer to this another twist comes. It’s a horror/mystery, wrapped in a puzzle and tied up with an enigma and I love it!

This book is very well written and although it’s told from three perspectives (Elissa, Elijah and D Supt Mairead MacCullagh) the story flows effortlessly. Elissa is simply amazing. I love the way she uses chess and chess gambits in order to survive and her cleverness defies her years. Elijah’s story is so sad it makes you want to weep and Mairead ties her own circumstances to the investigation thus making it deeply personal. This story is dark, like the grimmest of Grimm's Fairy Tales and it has many analogies and characters you would find in fairy tales and I’m not talking Disney here. There’s Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, there’s a witch or hag, there’s a good huntress and a huntsman, who doubles as the big bad wolf, we have a gingerbread house and no fairy tale is complete without a dark wood. On occasion, it has a feel of a horror movie as some of the images are so visual and interspersed are dark but appropriate Biblical quotations that add another dimension. The ending - oh my stars - what can I say? Bated breath? Yes, yes, yes and a little tear in my eye.

Overall, an incredible book which I could barely tear myself away from, in fact, my kindle had to be almost prised from my hands as I read far into the night! Highly recommended if you like dark and twisty.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC.
Expected publication 20/2/20.

The Memory Wood is a pulsating, hair raising thriller. It’s every parents nightmare. You will not want to put this book down till the end.

Elissa, a normal 13 year old except for a rising talent in Chess. Raised by her adoring Mum, Elissa is nurtured in her talent and has high hopes.

On the day of her biggest tournament yet she calms her fears and starts off very well. As she progresses through her matches, she takes a break to retrieve something from the car and everything changes.

Elissa is catapulted into a cold, black world full of fear and ghouls. Then Elijah a 12 year old boy enters and Elissa discovers that he is far from what he seems. As she grapples with hunger and pain she discovers new depths to her desire to survive. She contrives ways to deceive fragile Elijah into helping her escape but does it work?

The twists and turns in The Memory Wood will astound. This book is undoubtedly the best I’ve read this year.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK - Transworld Publishers, for the ARC.
Oh My Goodness - such a cleverly woven psychological thriller! I was astounded by the way the story unfolded - didn't see that coming - more than once!

Thirteen year old Lisa (Elissa) Mirzoyan is kidnapped into a dirty white van in broad daylight and awakes to find herself imprisoned in a stone basement. She's a talented chess player and uses those strategies to map-out her dark, cold environment, concluding that she is not the first person to have occupied this space.
Elijah (Eli) knows his brother Karl has bought him a replacement and tauntingly befriends Lisa as he's only 12 years old. He wants her to teach him how to play chess and in return he gives her nicer things. He calls her Gretel; she calls him Hansel.
Bryony Taylor had been abducted a year previously and Detective Superintendent MacCullagh, in charge of investigating Lisa's disappearance, draws parallels between the two. Bryony has never been found.

The narrative follows Eli's life in a stone cottage on the edge of Memory Wood and his visits to Lisa, as well as the menacing interactions between him and Karl. Despite Lisa's pleas, Eli cannot let her go; she is his only friend - until he realises she's tricked him and the investigation gets too close and he has to make a decision.

This is a well-written, twisty (and twisted), shocking thriller. Lisa's desperation and despair is palpable.
This is the stuff of nightmares.
Totally absorbing.

I found this book to be very dark and disturbing and struggled to start with as I felt quite emotional. However, I am glad I stuck with it as the plotting was incredibly well structured and the combining narratives come together nicely. Child abduction and suffering is always going to be a tough one, and as a parent even more so. However, the developments provide hope and the conclusion, although tragic in many senses has enough light to balance the book well.
I loved the intelligence and resilience of the young victim and the dedication of the lead police officer investigating her abduction. The central narrative of the young Elijah is full of puzzles and conflicts; this drives the story to it's thrilling and dark end.
A heart-wrenching and unusual thriller of trauma, grief, betrayal, abuse and hope.

At the beginning I found this book hard going but was glad I persevered. Elissa, the kidnapped girl, is a plucky and clever heroine and I was rooting for her all the way. Twists and turns meant I had no idea how the story was going to end. A different and exciting read.