Simply put- I loved it.

I was hooked reading this! This was my first read from Fiona Cummins and I feel compelled to go and read more as a result of reading this!

I'm so thankful to Netgalley for providing me with the ARC- I feel truly privileged :)

There are only so many things I can say about this book without spoiling it so I'll have to be careful!

This follows the story of a historical murder commited by a young child and how the consequences of this unfold years down the line.

There was a moment in this book where a discovery was made that literally BLEW my mind. It was fantastic. I read this book in ,2 days while working 12 hour shifts in work, that's dedication!

When this comes out- make it a priority, you won't regret it;

UNPUTDOWNABLE

A chilling take of two sisters and there friend
Growing up in 1997
The sisters parents are murdered
The story moves between them and now
Slowly unravelling the reasons behind the murders
Plenty of twists, easy to read and an unexpected ending

Highly recommended

Thank you netgalley, Fiona Cummins and Pan Macmillan for allowing me to read and review this book.

Wow what can I say, this book will keep you gripped till the end. I thought at first you are given to much information about the story for it to be as gripping as it was. Chapters are just long enough to keep the story moving and changing between characters for you not to lose the story. Thank you netgalley for approving this book. I will definitely be recommending this as a 5 🌟 book

Wow!!!! This is a great thriller and I read a lot of them!

At ten years old, Catherine admitted killing her parents and is now living under a false identity. Brindly is a journalist who witnessed the murders as a child. But the past is not behind them and they're drawn back into their dark past as secrets start to emerge.

It just doesn't let up from the first page to the last. I loved Cummins previous books and she shows she is a growing writer going from strength to strength. I feel like this in book she literally grabs you and refuses to let you go until you have finished. The pace and the ability to grip you never drops. Darkly thrilling and emotionally charged throughout.

5 stars all the way

This book! It was outstanding! I am going to have that book emptiness after finishing this one. Fantastic thriller. A twisted tale of abuse, friendship, trust and lies. A ‘what would I do in that situation’ read.

I've not at all been in the mood for thrillers, but some just grab you violently and pull you into their twisted stories. I really enjoyed this thriller, it has the perfect mix of twists and mystery, and I enjoyed the duel narration and timeline

This book follows two little girls, Sara and Shannon, and we learn that one of them murdered their parents with a pair of scissors when they were young. The narrative then jumps forward to the present as the case is gaining media attention again. One of the sisters is now living a new life with a new name, the other sister has just done a TV interview and dragged up the ghosts of the past for them both

I thought the telling of this story was done really well: we start off in the present, where the children are now adults, and then part two takes us back to the time of the murders and we learn what happened. I thought this was really effective in keeping me engaged, and making me care about the characters

I did call the late twist in this book, but it was still a satisfying read getting to that point. And I'm the type of person who actively tries to figure out the twists and mysteries, so one of my early guesses is usually right. It did all wrap up a little too neatly for me, I prefer slightly more of an open, messy ending, but overall this was a solid thriller

TW: child abuse/neglect, bullying, graphic murder/stabbing

When I Was Ten begins in 1997, with a young girl running away from the scene of a brutal double murder. When the timeline shifts to 2018, we discover that this girl was Brinley Booth, childhood friend of the Carter sisters, Shannon and Sara. Sara was nicknamed the Angel of Death after killing both of her parents when she was ten years old. Brinley hasn’t seen her since that evening and has always kept quiet about once knowing the girls.

Now a journalist, Brinley is shocked when Shannon agrees to discuss the events of that night for the first time in a documentary. It’s also unwelcome news for Sara, who is living under a new identity with a family of her own. The story follows the two women as the events of twenty-one years ago catch up with them.

The story is told in three parts: Who, Why and When. The Why section focuses on Shannon and Sara as children and the relationship with their parents. This was a difficult section to read, as their parents were cruel and abusive and Shannon endures some nasty incidents of bullying from her peers. The vulnerability and fear of the girls come through in the strong writing and, although uncomfortable, this section helps us make sense of the events that led up to these horrific murders.

This is a chilling story full of twists. For me, the most terrifying characters were Richard and Pamela Carter with their ability to portray the image of caring, generous members of the community to the outside world, while being the complete opposite behind closed doors. The novel explores the consequences of past actions, the possibility of rehabilitation after a terrible act and the role of the media in influencing public perception of child offenders. I enjoyed this story and I will look out for more books by Fiona Cummins in the future.

A harrowing thriller that follows an event that happened a long time ago to a family and how it effects them now. There were plenty of plot twists, many of them completely unexpected which is exactly what one wants from this type of book! Even with all of the complex story arcs, this was easy to follow. A brilliant read!

When I Was Ten is THE psychological thriller of 2021. No one really know what goes on behind closed doors. In 1997, Sara and Shannon’s parents are brutally murdered by one of their daughters. Twenty years later, their former next door neighbor Brinley is a journalist covering the story. Sara is living under a different name trying to keep the past at bay. And Shannon wants to tell the world the truth. The story is filled with shocking twists and interesting characters. If you’re looking for a dark psychological thriller, When I Was Ten is a great one to check out. Highly recommended!

Fiona Cummins has just shot to the top of my ‘must read more by this author’ list! This book is an absolute MUST READ for all psychological thriller fans.

The story starts in 1997, with a young girl running away from a horrific murder scene. We later learn this young girl is Brinley Booth, friend and neighbour to Carter sisters Shannon and Sara - whose parents were the victims at said horrific murder scene, later dubbed the ‘Hill Top Murders’. The story then fast forwards to December 2018 and shines a light on the family of Catherine and Edward Allen and their daughter, Honor. This book is made up of those two timelines and is written primarily from the perspectives of both Brinley and Catherine but also includes snippets from Geoffrey Heathcote, a wealthy Justice Minister.

I was immediately drawn in from page 1 and couldn’t stop reading until I reached the (deliciously twisty) end. This book explores so many powerful, dark and harrowing themes including child cruelty and neglect which I found hard to read in places but equally mesmerising. I found the inclusion of the Justice Minister’s tale captivating and clever - a perspective from an MP was really interesting.

Overall, this book is fantastically written, thoroughly thought-provoking and incorporates many elements that make up a truly enthralling read. I think it will appeal to so many people!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 22nd April 2021.

This was a good read, and kept you interested right to the end. It had lots of twists and turns, and made you feel sympathy even for the protagonist in the story. Keeps you engaged and it was an unusual story.

Oh my, what a gripping read! This is my first encounter with Fiona Cummins but since finishing I have been scrambling around looking to download every other book she has written!

I have to be honest and say that it took me a couple of chapters to get hooked as I found Catherine quite a strange character who wasn't very likeable. However, as I read on I felt that this was deliberate, and as the story progressed and we learned little snippets about her life, I became completely gripped with the story that was unfolding.

Brinley Booth has a very intriguing part to play in this whole story as she was there from the very beginning. Brave, dedicated and sincere are the words I would use to describe her. For me, she was the heroine in this story and I respected the way she stood up and took responsibility for her part in the historical events and did her best to make things right. I just wanted a 'happily ever after' for her!

There is certainly a lot of tension in the story which keeps you gripped and unable to put this book down! A must read for those who love psychological thrillers.

An amazing domestic thriller touching on an even that changed the life of a family many years ago and affected the trajectory of the sisters lives. Nothing would ever be the same!...I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend reading it!

Thanks to #NetGalley for this. I have not really read a Fiona Cummins novel, but this one I devoured in one sitting. Twists after twists kept me reading on…

It all starts in 1997 at Hilltop House when Dr and Mrs. Carter have been found brutally murdered…stabbed…fourteen times, but what they really didn’t tell you is that you never really know what goes on behind closed doors…and the lengths one might go to, to protect those we love…a diary with a secret in it’s pages…and a friend with a secret of her own…one that binds them all after twenty-one years…Just a picture perfect family with a deadly secret to hide.

This book is amazing! i couldn't put it down and what a shock in the end with brinley! didn't see that coming, would read more of this authors books every day, 5*****

With this cracker of a book, Fiona Cummins has reaffirmed why she's one of my favourite thriller authors of recent years. Holy moly, was this a satisfying read!

Firstly, let me just say that the minute I read this blurb I just knew that I had to read this book. The trope of children who kill (anyone, not just their parents) is one of my favourite tropes ever, and actually, as far as I know, there haven't been lot of books that have this concept as their central theme. So, I was destined to love this one I suppose. But having said that, it's not unusual for many people, myself included, to be pulled in by a good blurb only to then feel let down by the book, or totally mislead by the blurb. Well people, that won't happen here, I promise.

This story is told in 3 different parts - Who, Why and When - and I must congratulate the author on managing to keep me gripped throughout, but especially in Part 2. I read late into the night when I started Part 2 because I was so totally engrossed in the family life of the two sisters, and the things that were going on and happening to them just shocked and enthralled me in equal measure. Part 2 was sometimes difficult to read, but those of you that know my reading tastes know that I live for "difficult to read" books. The minute I hear that something might be a little uncomfortable, I'm bound to pick it up, especially when it's a thriller. And man, this one didn't disappoint. It was the perfect blend of family, drama, mystery and thriller for me, with uncomfortable and emotional parts in equal measure.

I also loved the twists and turns in this story, and there were a few that I totally didn't see coming and which caught me completely off guard. When you read as many thrillers as I do, that can be a difficult thing to accomplish, but this author managed and I'm incredibly happy about that.

In conclusion then, this is one of my favourite books of the year, and definitely in my Top 5, but perhaps even in my Top 3. I loved this thriller, and I'll be singing its praises from the rooftops for as long as people will listen. Thriller fans, buy this one. It will give you many hours of happy, on the edge of your seat entertainment.

This is a captivating story of 2 sisters and their friend, and the brutal killing of the sisters’ parents. The story flits between then and now and certainly kept me guessing! Full of twists along the way to keep the suspense and drama flowing.

I would definitely recommend this book. It was well written and easy to follow – which is not always as easy with multiple main characters and dual timelines.

Another fantastic story told by Fiona Cummins. I have been following her career from its beginning, and each of her novels get better and better. The Carter sisters story is well-told and heartfelt, and prompts the reader to consider their own views on rehabilitation and child murderers. I really enjoyed it, and especially loved the intertwining stories of all the main characters. The sisters are brilliantly fleshed out, and Sara is especially intriguing. I loved reading her struggles to maintain a normal life after such a traumatic childhood. Each of her scenes were so readable and her emotional processes were just stunningly told.

I would also like to point out that there is a very cruel twist at the end, which is brilliant. I definitely didn’t see that coming - wow!

Fiona Cummins writes an extremely terrifying novel but at the same time it is soul searching and the two combined work to keep the reader addicted.
Two sisters raised by their psychotic parents in a world of two completely different halfs. To the outside world Dr and Mrs Carter are wealthy and the epiphany of parents every child would envy but behind closed doors is a different story. The two sisters, Sara 8 and Shannon 12, had only one friend called Brinley 12 who was aware of some of the ill treatment her friends were subjected to but not the full extent.
One stormy night Dr and Mrs Carter were brutally murdered to death by one of their daughters using a pair of sharp scissors.
Following this backdrop things could only get better you’d think !!!!
The book just gets better with every turn of the page definitely in my top five books of 2020.

A gruesome double murder of a respected doctor and his wife shocks the town. Years later, their daughter Sara has rebuilt her life and tried her best to keep that awful night in her past and a secret from everyone. But her sister Shannon wants to get back in touch and releases an interview on national television which brings Sara’s blissful life and new identity crashing down around her.

Their childhood friend, now a journalist, is covering the news story but is this a huge conflict of interest as she was so close to the murderer?

This book was dark and terrifying, I regretted being alone in the house reading it.

I devoured this story, it was spectacular and I cannot speak highly enough of it.