I really enjoyed ‘When I Was 10’ and loved the now and then aspect of the book! It was a dark thriller which I read in a span of a day (I only put it down when I had too).

3.5 stars
Oh wow!!! This was one hell of a dark and twisted thriller that completely blew my mind. Part one started off rather slow and was a bit confusing, however by part 2 I couldn't put it down. The twists and turns just kept coming and by the end I was in a state of disbelief wondering how on Earth the author managed to come up with such a thrilling story.

Synopsis
Everyone remembered Sara and Shannon Carter, the little blonde haired sisters. Their Dad was the local GP and they lived in the beautiful house on the hill. Their best friend, Brinley Booth, lived next door. They would do anything for each other but everything shifted on that fateful day when Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were stabbed fourteen times with a pair of scissors in what has become the most talked about double murder of the modern age.

The girls were aged ten and twelve at the time. One, nicknamed the Angel of Death, spent eight years in a children’s secure unit accused of the brutal killings. The other lived in foster care out of the limelight and prying questions. Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down one of the sisters, persuading her to speak about the events of that night for the first time.

Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and Brinley Booth, now a journalist, is tasked with covering the news story which brings to light fresh evidence and triggers a chain of events which will have devastating consequences.

When I Was Ten is written from the two perspectives - Brinley and Catherine and oh my God it is such a tense, nail-biting book. From part 2 onwards I was literally on the edge of my seat wondering how it was all going to play out. Some of the twists I did not see coming and was completely stunned. The writing in this is very good, while the first part is rather confusing and takes a while to get into after a while I was hooked. It's a very dark novel that covers a child killing her parents and begs the question - what leads a child to do such a monstrous act and can they really change. The suspense in this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it and I was literally flying through it by the end. If your looking for a dark thriller that is full of suspense and nail-biting scenes I would highly recommend When I Was Ten.

My thanks to Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars.

This presents as a double timeline story, with Katherine Allen becoming worried that her husband is keeping secrets from her, then seeing her sister in a TV news appeal asking to see her ‘after all these years’. Their parents had been murdered when they were children.
Katherine had lied to her husband about her family background, but she is forced to confront and share her truth with her family, once news reporters start to badger her about her background.
It’s a compelling read, full of horrible emotive events, bad parenting (neglect and abuse) and the truth of what happened to the sisters, their best friend next door, and the murdered parents.

Brilliant. This was on my TBR for over a year, a d I should have dipped in sooner. I was
Addicted to this book from start to finish.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review (I listened to the brilliantly narrated audiobook)

The two daughters of a well to do GP should be having a great life, wanting for nothing plus having a great friend who lives next door until one night when the unthinkable happens. A “then and now” book and the workings of journalists who seemingly will do almost anything to get their “exclusive”. One of those very good in parts but not so great in others, books. A bit of a long winded section with a politician really slowed the story down. Dark and full of menace with much cruelty and if that sort of thing is up your street, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this book.

Her husband Edward and 12-year-old daughter Honor have always know that Catherine Allen was the survivor of a family tragedy. But it’s not true that her parents and sisters died in a house fire, as she claims. In fact, Dr and Mrs Carter were killed as they slept, stabbed multiple times with kitchen scissors by their pre-teen daughter. She was arrested, charged and locked up; her sister went into foster care.
Now, 21 years later, the case has reared its ugly head again as one Carter sister goes public to try to track down the other, As the narrative progresses, a harrowing story emerges of two little girls despised and abused by their outwardly respectable parents. The descriptions of how they are treated are so upsetting that you can only feel sympathy for the sister who cracked.
This story is tense and dramatic from its very beginning, when we meet the Carter sister's childhood friend 12-year-old Brinley alone in a lightning storm, traumatised enough by the death of her own mother without the added burden of her friends’ tragedy. As a thrilling domestic noir, the plot supports itself with the drama and danger of the past seeping into the present in a tense and thrilling climax.
But author Fiona Cummins goes one step further and forces us to examine our attitudes to children to kill. Do we believe that they can be rehabilitated? Or should they should be punished for life? Maybe the burden of guilt, of lies and unhappiness ensures that they punish themselves.

📚Book Review 📚
When I Was Ten -Fiona Cummins
Publication Date - 15th April 2021

Thank you to @netgalley and @panmacmillan for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Synopsis
The little Carter sisters live in a beautiful house on the hill. To the outside world, their childhood is perfect.

Then one day, ten-year-old Sara does something unforgivable.

On the anniversary of the trial, the sisters are forced to confront what really happened for the first time – with devastating consequences for them both.

What drives a child to do the unthinkable? And even if you manage to escape from your past, can you ever be truly forgiven?

My Thoughts
Wow! This book was fantastic, I was completely gripped from the start.

I read this as a buddy read with @thebookendreviews and @bookworm1346 and the book evoked so many conversations around our theories, it is definitely one that would create many discussions. We was all slightly confused by the purpose of one character and the role he had in the book.

We read this over a day, but this could easily be a one sitting read as you have to know what happens next.

I like the style of the cover, simple but effective, the ladies I read with had proof copies which had a ‘cut’ in it. I’m hoping the published books will feature this as I need it in my life!!

I’m so excited to have found a new to me author and am already excited to read more of her novels, I have ‘The neighbours’ on my shelf so will be starting this ASAP.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
#wheniwasten #fionacummins #netgalley #panmacmillan #netgalleyuk #bookreview #bookreviewer #arcread #arcreader #advancedreaderscopy #thriller #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #readingcommunity #readersofig #bookish #mrsbookburney #booksbooksbooks

This book was read as a buddy read and we all agreed that we would read it in a day with reading sprints and discuss at certain part of the book. However, if that arrangement had not been in place, this would have been a book that I read in one sitting.
The book was impossible to put down
The book does explore child abuse, but it’s what the author leaves out and leaves to your imagination that really makes you uncomfortable.
The chapters are very short and the book is split into three parts.
I read a lot of this genre and I think that this was one of the better ones!
This book would have been a 5⭐️ for me. But unfortunately there was one part of the storyline that was unclear and me and the girl were really not sure why it was included. I have previously enjoyed this authors work and will definitely be ordering rattle and the collector very soon!!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author Fiona Cummins for the advanced readers copy.
This is the first Fiona Cummins book I have read, and It did not disappoint!

We start this book with a chapter from a twelve year old girls perspective, we later learn that this little girl is Brinley Booth, neighbour to the Carter Family and best friend of Sara and Shannon Carter.

To the outside world, Shannon and Sara Carter must seem like the luckiest girls ever, with a loving mother and the local and trusted GP as their father....but no one knows what goes on behind closed doors, no one has any idea.
The way Fiona Cummins writes the horrifying chapters that describe the abuse those two girls went through at the hands of the people who they are supposed to trust is just extraordinary; it is gentle yet impactful in a way I have never read before and it kept me thoroughly hooked.
I have to admit, I read this book in ONE sitting and I was sent on an emotional rollercoaster, when reading through reviews on Goodreads for this novel, I came across one reviewer who compared it to going round in a tumble drier on high setting and I couldn't explain it better myself.
Another way that Fiona made me thoroughly invested in this story was the way she kept "drip-feeding" me information about the past I won't tell you anymore purely so you can have the same experience I had.
I absolutely loved the way the story was told perspective-wise, with us being thrown back in time to 1977 with Sara, Shannon and Brinley and then the next moment I was pulled back to 2018 with Catherine, her husband Edward and 12-year old daughter Honour.

I will certainly be looking out for more of Fiona Cummins work, and I wish this novel all the best once it graces the public with its publication.
Thanks again to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and the author.

Twenty-one years ago, Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were killed in what has become the most infamous double murder of the modern age.

Their ten year-old daughter – nicknamed the Angel of Death – spent eight years in a children’s secure unit and is living quietly under an assumed name with a family of her own.

Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down her older sister, compelling her to break two decades of silence.

Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and journalist Brinley Booth, a childhood friend of the Carter sisters, is tasked with covering the news story.

For the first time, the three women are forced to confront what really happened that night – with devastating consequences for them all.

Sometimes, you come across a thriller that breaks away from typical conventions. As you watch the scenes unfold, your senses heighten to the point where you can almost taste the tang of blood in the air. It doesn’t feel like it fiction – it feels real and you are right there in the midst of the action.

When I Was Ten has all these vibes and more.

this book is brilliantly written. The author (a former Daily Mirror show business journalist) easily injected her experience into the pages through the eyes of Brinley, the undervalued journalist searching for her big scoop. This perspective added a realistic edge to the story which was further cemented by the gathering of facts that lead to the murders.

The narrative had a brilliant pace all the way through, enough to make you want to read on at the end of every chapter.

Dark, twisty and addictive. I devoured this book in a couple of sittings. Cleverly written and structured, this book keeps you on your toes until the last page.

When I Was Ten is another cracker of a twisty read by Fiona Cummins. This book drags you in from the start and doesn’t let up for one page.
It’s 1997 and Brinley Booth has just witnessed the murder of her best friends parents, Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela. They are a much respected and well to do family so it comes with shock that it is their youngest daughter who is only ten years old that has been charged with the double murder. Brinley after witnessing the murder is struck by lightening leaving her back scarred. Fast forward to 2018 and it is the anniversary of this awful event and we catch up with the three women. Shannon is now trying to reach out to Sara with a tv plea but Sara has her own family and her own reasons for not coming forward. Brinley is trying to be the best reporter she can be but finds herself embroiled back in this trio and each woman will do anything to keep what they know from public knowledge to save themselves.
This book seamlessly went from the past to the present, giving twists and turns at every new chapter. Just when you thought you had it all sussed out the carpet was whipped from underneath you. A great read and can’t wait for the next!!
I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Title: When I Was Ten
Author: Fiona Cummins
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 367
Rating: 5/5

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for allowing me to read and review When I Was Ten.

Synopsis:

1997 and a young girl is running away from a murder scene. Brinley is best friends with sisters Shannon and Sara Carter and the victims of horrific murder that has just taken place is their parents. The youngest sibling is, only 10 years old is arrested for the brutal Hill Top murders. 2018 and one of the Carter sister’s wants the story to be shared with the word, whist the other is terrified about what that means for her and her family. Brinley, now a reported, knows exactly what happened that night she fled and she does not want to reveal what happened the night the Angel of Death struck. Will the truth of that night ever be revealed?

Review:
The cover grabbed my attention, then I read the description and I was hooked, this sounded like a read you could really get your teeth stuck in to and I just had to experience it! The reviews also looked very promising but I refused to read any as I wanted to go into this book blind, I didn’t want to spoil anything and I’m glad I didn’t.

The prologue was a fast-paced opener which pulls you in, the book grabs you in its clutches and does not let go. The author did a fantastic job at setting the scene, her descriptive writing created imagery that made me feel everything she was writing.

I found the jumps in character perspective was quite easy to follow but at times I did get slightly confused. For any readers who plan on giving this book ago, if you feel confused at any point, please stick with it because this intriguing read is worth it.

Many times, I tried to guess how the characters would come together and how the story would unfold. I managed to guess a few things, but wow, the twists and turns in this book were fantastic. Right up until the very end things catch you off guard and I loved it. I was hooked from start to the very last page.
The book had me feeling all sorts of emotions. Some of the flash backs really had me feeling many things at once including anger and disgust. At times I felt quite disturbed by what I was reading and I had to remind myself that this wasn’t real, but the dark in me adored this! I am quite tough when it comes to reading dark things, so the fact that this had be genuinely feeling emotional at times shows how talented this author really is.

Part two for me was when I was really hooked in completely, the book became impossible to put down then. It was powerful and I was engrossed throughout. Then part 3 came along, this one was action packed and things really began to kick off!

Honestly, after finishing When I Was Ten, I needed a few minutes to breath and comprehend what I had just read. The characters were interesting, it was tense and I was kept on my toes throughout, it was dark, it was compelling and it was emotional. The plot twist was uncanny and I was on the edge of my seat throughout. This won’t be the last book I read by this fantastic author.

I was utterly absorbed this book. If you love a crime/domestic thriller/twists then this is the perfect read for you.

We follow 3 characters, told through their own words/story, Brinley, Sara and Shannon. Brinley is Sara and Shannon's next door friend and Sara and Shannon are sisters. To say these two sister have family dysfunctions would be a lie, they are cruelly treated by their parents, and this in turn is hard to read about at some points during the novel.

One of the sister's decides to end their suffering and brutally kills their parents. That sister is put into a locked up unit for 8 years whilst the other sister tries to get on with their life. When the Sara is released from the unit with a new identity she desperately tries to forget her crimes and does settle down with her family, without them knowing about her past. Years later, her sister makes an appearance on television about wanting to meet her sister again and this sets off a series of events. Brinley is a journalist trying to make it big in the newspaper world but keeps lucking out, until she realises that the story from her childhood could help in getting her name recognised..

I will not give away too much of this book, but I never saw some of the twists coming. Fiona Cummins you have made a fabulous, thought provoking read and I can not wait to read more of your work.

Thanks for an advance copy of this book.

When I Was Ten - Fiona Cummins.

First of all I'm a big fan of Fiona Cummins' books and writing. Her debut Rattle is one of my favourite dark crime books and I frequently recommend it, and always look forwards to her new books.

No spoilers, a general picture of the events in presented very early on, and is in fact in the book's blurb.

When I Was Ten is a quite an involved and complex plot, based around the death of two parents at the hands of one of their daughters, the after effects on the daughter who was locked up, and the media frenzy attempting to uncover the convicted daughter's adult identity.

After the initial setup there are distinct sections.

We see the sisters Sara and Shannon (10 and 12 respectively) at home with their outwardly respectable but sadistically cruel parents.
Brinley (12) is the girls' best friend and neighbour and the only one with an inkling that all is not well. This section cumulates in the double murder of the parents. With multiple viewpoints, at times I found it unclear whose viewpoint I was reading for a few pages into some chapters which did break up the flow.

We see Catherine (Sara's new identity after being locked up) with her family, who have no idea she is a convicted killer. There is a lot of publicity around the case as it reaches the 21st anniversary of the deaths and Shannon (separated and estranged from her sister since the murders) appealing to try and get in touch with her sister.
Brinley is now a tabloid journalist, in a unique position to provide a scoop of the story.

Eventually the press intrusion gets too much and Catherine and family are forced to go into Police managed Identity Protection.
Shannon is still trying to find her sister.

There is a satisfying finale, as all the secrets come out.

Now, while there is a complete story arc the different sections felt a little disjointed to me, almost like short stories involving the same characters rather than multiple strands of a whole.

There were plenty of original elements, and perhaps I've read too many books but it was hard not to make comparisons with other books with similar themes. Unfortunately I felt those other books did many of the things a little better.

I did enjoy it overall, it a complex story and generally it handles it well. I felt the section on their childhood was the most effective, with the young voices coming across very movingly and convincingly.

The finale ties everything together very well, and is suitably redemptive.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan.

I often worry when reading highly anticipated books about what will happen when I have finished reading. Nine times out of ten it is because I am worried about how to do the book justice, which is very much. the case when it comes to this latest offering from Fiona Cummins, When I Was Ten. If you have come looking for another devious serial killer novel, you are not going to find it here. This is every bit as dark as its predecessors, but disturbing in a very different way. This is a tale of abuse and murder of the most vicious mature, both thoughtful and thought provoking, but also packed with tension and suspense that had me charging through to the final page in no time at all.

This is the story of the Carter family - parents murdered - children separated - public horrified. Upstanding members of society, the thought that anyone could possibly want to murder Dr Carter and his perfect wife seems completely impossible. Horrifying. that the murderer should be one of the family - unthinkable. And yet this is what comes to pass and this book, told principally form the points of view of one of the two sisters and their childhood best friend, examines the truth about what happened and why and the impact that is now has upon the lives of those who survived. It is at times quite chilling, and not simply because this is a case of murder. It is what lies beneath that really caused me as a reader to give pause and to think long and hard about what might drive a child to kill.

Catherine, one of the two key narrators in this story, is an intriguing character. It is clear from the off that she hides many secrets, but not necessarily what they all might be. She has built herself a life of sorts and it is easy to like her, to feel a kind of empathy for her situation, even though she is not entirely transparent. She loves her family, even though they appear to be pulling away from her, but the author has portrayed her in such a sympathetic way that it is hard to be completely suspicious of her, no matter what we believe she may have done. The second narrator, Brinley, now a reporter, again is someone I grew to like pretty quickly. I suppose it is because I could empathise a little with both of them, I recognised elements of myself in their personalities. Don;t get me wrong, I've never engaged in parricide or been parricide adjacent, but there are revelations and situations in the book I could very much relate to, especially Brinley's habit of using junk food as a crutch.

The book falls into three parts, two set in the present, the first setting up the here and now and the circumstances that sees Catherine's carefully built but fragile life start to crumble. The middle section is set in the past, in the Carter sister's childhood and witnessing the events leading up to the fateful night that will change everything. These scenes in the past are hard to read at times, not necessarily justifying what comes to pass, but certainly making you understand more about why it happens. It is carefully pitched and perfectly timed within the book, giving readers just enough, the tension already having built to such a height that is sets us up for a very dramatic ending. The final third of the book, again in the here and now, sees our two narrators confront their pasts with very dramatic, fast paced, dramatic and full of tension that had me absolutely racing through to the conclusion. Just when you thought you knew everything, prepare to be surprised. There are carefully proffered clues threaded throughout the novel, ones that you may miss but which become very relevant in the end, but they are so cleverly spun into the novel that you may dismiss their significance and end up kicking yourself for it.

As always, Fiona Cummins has gifted readers a beautifully written novel taking us to the heart of the story and examining the psychology, the motivations and the actions of two people pushed to their limits. Yes it is a story of people caught in a web of secrets and lies, of abuse and of revenge, but it is also a story of how far a person will go to protect the people they love, no matter the cost. it's a book that gripped me from the start and would not let me go and one I most definitely recommend.

This was my first book by this author and it won't be the last! This book is written in three parts. Part one was a little hard as to know who was who, but then from part two onwards buckle up for a bumpy and twisty ride. I will definitely be recommending this to all my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Fiona Cummings and Pan Macmillan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

A rare telling of child crime so accurately confirming that the victims are not the only sufferers. The tragedy lives on in those who are left behind with secrecy and lies never going to end well for any of the players.

I struggled at times with this book. Parts of it are very hard to read and parts of it are slow and drawn out. Child abuse is never going to be easy to read or write about but I felt the author dealt with it sensitively. All in all a good read.

This is the story of the Carter sisters and their childhood friend Brinley, bound together by a double murder, secrets and lies.
It was a real page turner and usually I’m good at figuring out what is going to happen. But I never saw the twist coming at the end of part one, so much so, I had to go back and reread it all from the beginning!!!
Part 2 focused mainly on their childhood and the events that shaped their future. It was quite painful to read and makes you realise you don’t always know what goes on behind closed doors.
Although it all came together in part 3, I didn’t feel the side story about the MP Geoffrey Heathcote was necessary and without giving away too much information, thought the ending was a bit unbelievable.
That aside, a good solid 3.5 and definitely worth a read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It is full of carefully crafted tension and has so many surprises! Every time I thought I had it all figured out, I was jerked in another direction and forced to reconsider basically my entire life.

I really liked the segments of the book from the perspective of Brinley. It was such a fresh and interesting take on "the friend of the murderer." She tugged at my heartstrings so much, her position in the whole thing is just unthinkable.

The end of this book came together in such a beautiful way, and each new revelation unfolded in perfect time. Nothing felt rushed or forced, and even when something was a surprise, it also made all the sense in the world. Just a really remarkable piece of writing.