I utterly adored this story. I was invested from the very start and as a Mother of 2 boys, I felt the story in my soul. Fantastic writing, believable twists and multi-dimensional characters.

This is an excellent read about Alice who has brought up her two sons Lou and Benny on her own. Her life is turned upside down when she is informed by the police that her son Lou has died in suspicious circumstances when out with his brother Benny.

Indigo has a son Kane who is getting ready to go to university. When Kane is arrested Indigo cannot believe that her son can be connected with the death of Lou. This story follows the two women, There isn't much a mother won't do to keep her child safe.

A great read not to be missed.

I received a digital arc of this from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were good and the story was a good one. I was intrigued to learn more and couldn't put the book down. I had to know the truth about that night and what really happened to Lou. The ending seemed a bit sudden though.

Alice and Indigo were the staples of this novel, it was through them that we finally learn what happened to Alice’s son.
Totally different but somehow they work and I found myself caring about both characters even though I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the story.
The pace was a bit slow and occasionally dragged but overall a solid read.

Superb plot- well written characters . A great read. Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure.
Thank you to both the publisher and NetGalley for gifting me the book.

A great, thrilling read, which will keep you entertained throughout. A good one sitting read, get the nibbles ready, close the door, and read!

This book starts with a murder, and then a special friendship develops between two woman. But the friendship has its own twists, the friends are the mother of the murderer, and the mother of the victim. This makes for an interesting read, because you feel the pain of both woman, and can feel that you sympathize with both sides.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the publishers' blurb - instead I would recommend that you read this for yourself if you're a fan of twisty mysteries where all is not as it seems...

This book inspired huge waves of emotion in me - as the mother of sons, I felt huge empathy with Alice and Indigo. Each was utterly devastated by the events that took place, each dealt with them in totally different ways.

The plot was very well thought out, and we see things from several viewpoints which adds to the richness of the writing. The characters are well written, and the interplay and relationships felt genuine.

I wasn't expecting the book to end as it did, and did not guess the twist - you'll have to read it for youself to find out what it is!

I really like Emily Koch's writing style, and look forward to reading more from her.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

An emotional rollercoaster that’s easy to get caught up in. An easy book to read and one that’s hard to put down. Clever writing and a good storyline.

A really good read that kept me gripped. Definitely looking forward to reading more from the author. Really enjoyed the plot and the characters.

I loved the idea of the two mothers, two sons, one killer and one killed but it didn’t grab me like it should have! It felt like the story never got going properly, despite the interesting characters and scenarios.

A compelling thriller about two mothers connected by the death of one of their sons. Great characterisation and plot - I read it in one sitting.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

A compelling domestic thriller following two mothers- one whose son has been murdered and the other whose son is accused of committing the crime. The reader follows thee women as they try to uncover the truth of what really happened. The author did an excellent job of switching between the two women’s perspectives- not simply as a storytelling device but as an incredibly well executed way of laying clues and important information at the right time from the right source to keep the reader engaged but also subtly revealing things that only became significant much later. Highly enjoyable read!

A slow-burn domestic thriller that was unfortunately too slow paced and unengaging for me despite the twists.

I did not enjoy this thriller - domestic thriller can be hit or miss and this was a miss for me. The whole story was sooooo sloooooow I am surprised I did not fall asleep and this made me dislike the book, however the psychological effects on the characters were spot on. What a shame.

Thank you Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

This was my first book by Emily and it won't be my last. - what a fantastic read.
A great pace, well written, and I didn't want to put it down. An absolute psychological thriller with a twist and definitely an emotional story.
Highly recommend

A decrent slow burn psychological thriller. It was an interesting story, but not mind-blowing. Solid enough to make for a good read for any fan of the genre though.

I enjoyed this - not quite a crime procedural but not quite a thriller either. It's about two mothers who discover that neither of them know quite as much about their sons as they thought they did, when one ends up dead and the other is suspected of pushing him

Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

Keep him close is a domestic drama, following a story told by two mothers. One child is dead, the other accused of his murder.
The premise of this story is really good, and the writing is great also. It’s a bit of a slow burn though and perhaps too slow in parts.

However I did enjoy it and would read another book by the same author.