This book seems slow to start but then it becomes clear that that is because it is setting the scene for a complex story. This is essentially a murder mystery which becomes gripping as the various family scenarios are described. We have the grandmother describing her marriage to her daughter in law by way of a letter explaining her role in events essential to the story. Then Poppy,mother and main character,describes her complex relationships with her parents,a former lover,Matthew, who is crucial to the tale and her husband and daughters. Then the climax approaches but it is not the expected outcome either. It only appears to be murder. Then,with the court case settled,there is the implication that there might be another explanation for what happened. This books gains momentum as it rolls along,being sure to keep its readers interested.

I Made A Mistake - another excellent thriller
Having read and awarded Jane Corry's previous book, I Looked Away, a well-deserved five stars, I am delighted to have the opportunity of writing an advance review of her next thriller, I Made A Mistake. The story unfolds with a sense of unerring certainty that something is going to go badly wrong. It's told from the point of view of the two main characters, Poppy and her mother-in-law Betty. Both women are each a product of their time. Poppy, while busy juggling career, marriage and home, is at times hapless yet resourceful, and yes, bad things do happen to good people but nothing is ever black or white as poor Poppy is caught up on a rollercoaster of events. Betty, on the other hand, tends to reflect on past mistakes and tribulations of her own life as she tries to help Poppy out of a seemingly hopeless situation. Totally believable with deft touches of colour and realism, the exciting ending was a complete surprise. Devious, convoluted but always engagingly human, this is another thoroughly compelling 5-star winner. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for supplying me with an advance copy.

I really enjoyed this book and read it deep into the night. I adored Betty and whenever I imagined her I thought of Betty white from the Golden Girls. I loved Poppy too but Betty has the grit. The characters are really rich and you really can see them and feel them so clearly. The plot whistles along at a great pace and there were no down spots or filler at all. I’ve read other Jane Corry books but this one is definitely the best by far. The plot is great with an ever escalating fear factor. You won’t regret getting this book but it will leave you wanting more from the author.

'I made a mistake' the new novel by author Jane Corry and I can honestly say I didn't make a mistake reading this book.
Poppy Page makes a mistake when she lets a lost love back into her life, some twenty years after he left it. Poppy is now married with children and her life is completely different to then, but what about her feelings.
The story is told separately from both Poppy and through a letter from her Mother in Law Betty telling Poppy of her younger life with her husband Jock. The letter tells her of her mistakes and regrets that she has kept secret all these years.

A very good read and my only mistake is not reading more from this author till now.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows the stories of two women, poppy and Betty. It is told through three different narratives; present day (takes place in a court room), Poppy’s story and Betty’s story. For me, it took a while to get to grips with the three strands as they were quite different and sometimes the transition between narration seemed a bit abrupt. I soon got used to the format though.

I was gripped by Betty’s story and found her character was portrayed well. I wasn’t as invested in Poppy, who was a bit one dimensional.

I enjoyed the details of Poppy’s agency and I would have liked to read more about the characters involved as they were entertaining and added a lighter side to an otherwise dark tale.

This book promised twists and turns and it definitely delivered these. On the whole, it was well written and the storylines were believable and sometimes relatable.

It was a fantastic read which had me hooked and I would certainly recommend it.



I received an advance copy of this book
From netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great psychological thriller that keeps you hooked.

The different perspectives and how they converge make it stand out and I enjoyed reading about the relationships.

The secrets people keep and how you can never really know a person is key.

Fantastic read! The characters really came to life, I especially loved how Betty was portrayed throughout the book. This is a brilliant story about love and marriages throughout different generations, I’d definitely recommend

A great read with well developed characters and an immersive story line. I particularly loved reading about Betty and the life she lived behind closed doors.

Thanks to Ellie @ Penguin General (Team Jane Corry) and Netgalley for an early copy of this great book.

When Poppy's ex makes an appearance back into her life, she makes a mistake that will have devastating consequences. A great read with well developed characters, and an unexpected and clever ending. Recommended!

A story told by 2 women , Poppy and her mother in law Betty . Questions are raised after the death of an old flame of Poppy killed on the Underground, the story of Betty's relationship with her late husband was not the stuff of dreams that Poppy had thought , a terrible truth that had been covered up since the time of Poppy's husband's birth . Poppy has her secrets too and Betty is trying to help her through them without admitting how much she knows about them . A well written story with many twists to the plot to grip the reader showing how secrets can damage families who outwardly appear to be successful in their lives and careers .

Jane Corry is clearly a very popular writer and, never having read any of her tales, I was pleased to be able to pick up ‘I Made a Mistake’, a statement which applies across the generations in this novel about failing marriages and poor decisions. However, depressing though this sounds, the author’s plotting skills ensure that the reader is carried along at a pace whilst also having plenty of sympathy for the two women, Betty and her daughter in law Poppy, at the centre of the story.
Much of the story comes from a very long letter addressed to Poppy from Betty who takes us back to the 1960s, reminding us of the far from swinging sixties that most couples experienced. Betty endures her dreadful marriage for the sake of her son, Stuart, but, even though she has been brave and noble, she lives with a crippling secret, the effects of which she has lived with over the years.
Meanwhile, Poppy’s marriage has been wilting; both she and Stuart are buried in their work and romance died years ago. So, when her ‘first love’ the attractive Matthew returns on the scene she is very tempted, with frightening consequences. Jane Corry depicts the almost manic lifestyle of the successful career woman very effectively; with an ageing father, teenage daughters, and a crammed work schedule, she is lucky to have Betty living with them to pick up the pieces.
Whilst this is a psychological thriller, and quite a gripping read because of the way in which it is structured, it is also an exposition of domestic expectations and transformations over the last fifty years. Perhaps a little disappointing, then, that the conclusion seems to suggest that women on top of their game can’t have a contented family life. A little over-written in places but, nevertheless, an immersive read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK) for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

This was an excellent novel that I had a great time reading. Exquisite character development and fast flowing story make this book a success

I Made a Mistake by Jane Corry; such an easy five stars for this one!
Everyone makes mistakes, we're only human after all, but sometimes a single moment of lapsed judgement can be costly!
Poppy is a successful businesswoman running a casting agency for tv extras. She considers herself a devoted wife and mother; but when handsome ex-boyfriend Matthew Gordon walks back into her life after twenty years, Poppy gives in to one night of nostalgia and lust and risks everything she has worked so hard for!
Jane Corry masterfully weaves together a story of abuse, betrayal and lust, exploring in depth the relationships between the different characters, simultaneously looking into how past actions can have unforeseen consequences far into the future.
A great read!

Jane Corry returns with a emotionally charged domestic drama/thriller about two women,the mistakes that they make and the effects that those mistakes had on their lives. It was also a story about the vast differences in the treatment of women throughout the years. It is shocking to think that even in the seventies many women were still treated disrespectfully by their husband's and were expected to keep quiet about the way they were treated and their husband's bullying, abuse behaviour. It's the story of one woman who was prepared to do everything in her power to protect her family and another who was prepared to throw everything that she had away due to her selfish,thoughtless behaviour.

The chapters alternated between Poppy Page who was married to Stuart and they had two daughter's Daisy and Melissa and Stuart's mother, the lovely, adorable Betty and flipped back and forth between the past and present. In the chapters that were set in the past and were written by Betty in the form of letters to Poppy, we witness a naive teenage Betty meet,date and eventually marry Jock, someone who starts off all charming and romantic but soon reveals the true nature of his character. We are taken through the years of their marriage,the birth of Stuart, Betty's ill-fated friendship with Jane. A wonderful moment that made me cheer out loud and shout "you go girl," Stuart going off to University and meeting and marrying Poppy. The chapters that were set in the present day were voiced by Poppy, a character who I didn't like for various reasons and struggled to feel any sympathy for as the story unfolded. Interspersed throughout the book was chapters that were set in a courtroom where we found Poppy being questioned by a barrister about her involvement with a man from her past called Michael. But why was Poppy in court? How did Michael fit into the story? Would Betty get the happy ending that she deserved or would all their lives be ruined forever just because of Poppy's mistake?

As all reader's have come to expect with Jane Corry's well written thrillers, I Made A Mistake is a enthralling read that pulls at your heart string, causes you to experience a wide range of emotions and has some unexpected twists towards the end of the story. Her words flow with ease, drawing the reader into her characters fictional, yet realistic world and situations and holding you captivated. I love this author's realistic stories. Very very highly recommended.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy 'I Made a Mistake' but appreciate the opportunity to read it. I found the narrative very one-dimensional and disliked the way the author felt the need to explain everything to the reader - frequent use of commas in parentheses. Unfortunately, I was not convinced by the plot convincing and was put off by errors such as the author stating that Reg's wife had died yet a few chapters later, she was alive again.

This book was just fabulous. I, like many readers, stayed awake until the early hours as I wanted to see what happened. I felt like I was living with the family, and dear Betty was a real treasure. She was so unjudgmental (if that’s a word!)

It just shows how past feelings can still run deep and people tend to live in the past and just remember the good times. Bad times seem to fade. I could have killed Matthew myself!!! What a despicable creature.

So, Poppy made a mistake, we all do, it’s human nature, and this was so well written, as I said you felt like you were her. The characters were all believable and the story was authentic. They almost jumped off the page. I kept saying to Poppy “don’t do it” like she was here with me. It was a rollercoaster of a read with plenty of twists and turns. The ending was superb, just when you think it’s all sorted, the author pulls another rabbit out of the hat!

I can’t remember if I’ve read any of Jane’s books before, if not, I certainly will read the others.

My thanks to the author and the publishers for the ARC. 5* 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

On the surface, Poppy Page has it all. A successful and attractive businesswoman running her own acting agency, she is married with two beautiful daughters. But her marriage lacks passion, and Poppy's dreams of becoming an actress herself are unfulfilled. So when her first love, Matthew Gordon, comes back into her life offering the excitement she has been missing, Poppy is quickly drawn in by his charms. But is Matthew all he seems, or has Poppy made a terrible mistake?

I really enjoyed this well-written, well-plotted novel, told in turns by Poppy herself, and her mother-in-law, Betty and I loved the counterpoint Betty's own backstory lent to Poppy's predicament. The quick unravelling of Poppy's life was terrifying, and the author did a brilliant job of making each character well-rounded and believable. I also had a gasp out loud moment towards the end, and those don't happen to me very often! 

A beautifully written and well-plotted novel - I look forward to reading more from this author, and will definitely be recommending this one. NB: I was provided with a free ARC copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow , what a book . I loved this from start to finish , I loved hearing the story from the mother in laws past and the wife’s story . Just shows how making one mistake can ruin so many lives but it also shows we’re all human and do make silly mistakes . This was one of the best books Ive read for years and the best Ive read from this author .

I received an email from Net Galley regarding this book and decided I would request this even though I hardly ever read thrillers. I was hooked from page 1 absolutely devoured it in two days . I am not keen on characters telling the story but for this book it so worked - Poppy and her mother in law, the family relationships and heir histories and then Matthew! It kept me on the edge of my seat with so many twists and turns and yet had a brilliant unexpected ending which drew to a proper conclusion.

I could not put this book down I kept thinking I would just read the one chapter and then I couldn’t stop!! LOVED LOVED it and am now looking to purchase other books from this author and cannot recommend this particular book enough.

Very clever and very well written!! Fully enjoyed this one and was read in one sitting!! Cannot wait to read more from this author !!