A murder mystery and thrilling family drama rolled into one . Poppy Page ,mother of two teenager daughters ,loyal wife to Stuart her dentist husband ,makes a mistake. She lets Matthew ,her first love,back into her life having bumped into him at a party that her husband couldn’t attend. Betty, her mother in law ,too has made mistakes and the consequences are about to descend on the family . The story is cleverly plotted; starting with a murder and a trial told from the alternative perspectives of Poppy and Betty . I found Poppy to be a bit irritating at times and had to suspend belief that she could actually do some of the things she did . The twists will keep you wondering how the story will play out right until the end of the book .

Clever witty and what a rollercoaster of a read. Fast paced and very hard to put down. Each chapter is given over to one of the main characters either Poppy or her mother in law Betty. They each have their own story to tell and yes they have both made one life changing mistake and we learn how it has shaped them. Well written and you can't help liking Poppy and Betty. This read blew me away. A well deserved five stars and highly recommended. One of the best domestic noir with more than a touch of the psychological thriller. I LOVED IT!!!!
Thanks to Penguin Books UK and Netgalley for the ARC.

Another well written book from Jane Corry
In this book we meet Poppy and her family including her mother in law Betty
Poppy meets her old and 1st love Mathew at a works Party. What follows will change Poppy’s life as she knows it.
We flit through chapters telling us about Poppy, letters from her mother in law and a London court murder trial!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review

This was a tale of 2 halves, the first made me want to give up and the second kept me reading into the night. The idea of the dual storylines and the who has done what was great. I personally struggled to like the characters which made it hard to emphasise with them.

Anything Jane writes I am desperate to read. I devour her novels so so fast and love the unpredictable nature of them all. This one was no exception. It was fast paced, full of intrigue and so addictive. The flip between the different narratives was very slick and effective and I loved every second!

I Made a Mistake
Jane Corry
Thanks to Penguin Books (UK) and Netgalley UK for the advance read. I have read a couple of books by this author and this one does not disappoint. The way she writes is so true to life, how we all could think/act if push comes to shove. Many of us must remember our first loves in a rosy glasses kind of way but what results of that in this book has far reaching consequences. A story about a family who have become complacent, own jobs, separate lives, growing apart and how the reappearance of someone from the past causes so much angst, tension, stress and betrayal. This is a rollercoaster of a book. Wonderful.

Poppy Page runs an extras agency representing those people who make movie scenes realistic or adverts humourous. Unfortunately her home life isn't humorous at all. Husband Stuart, a busy dentist, works long hours, as does Poppy and its left to her mother-in-law, Betty, to pick up the slack, with teenage daughters Melissa and Daisy.

When a face from Poppy's past comes back into her life the temptation of straying with her first love is too strong and her actions cause everyone she hold dear to see their lives go into freefall. Secrets are revealed, lives lost and futures changed forever all because of one mistake, but who made it first?

I hadn't read anything by this author before but liked the premise, and it began with murder, a court case and revelations in letter form, all things which should be the precursor to a cracking read. Unfortunately in this case it wasn't. A family drama rather than a thriller it plodded from one stereotype to the next and had scenes which had very little or no relevance to the plot other than to pad it out. Yes, we all talk about inconsequential stuff with our loved ones but not in the pages of a book where they just slow everything down.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review. I wish I could recommend it as it is obviously a labour of love for the author and has been raved over by other reviewers but for me it wasn't enjoyable unfortunately.

Wow I was gripped from the start. A thoroughly enjoyable, easy read the ending of which I thought I have guessed but wasn’t the case. Definitely one to read this summer.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A story of two women, both very different. Poppy is married to Stuart, a dentist who gives her little or no attention. Betty is Poppy's really helpful mother in law, who, is in a loveless marriage. Someone is pushed under a train. Poppy meets an old flame. There is a murder trial.
These stories all interconnect and come together as the book progresses, being told from either Poppy or Betty's perspective.

It's an OK read. I just couldn't really get into it and found myself flicking through some of the chapters, unable to connect with any of the characters.
It's certainly not a psychological thriller, more a family drama and a well written one at that.
If you go into it expecting a family drama, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

What a ride! The story starts innocently enough: Poppy attends a Christmas party and an old flame bursts onto the scene of her ordinary, middle-class life. It all seems rather predictable. But it isn’t and you can’t glide into complacency. Corry grabs you by the throat and starts squeezing. Her hold is unrelenting. She won’t loosen it, not until the end.
There are two strong narratives: Poppy’s and her mother-in-law, Betty’s. At first they seem to run in parallel (two different timeframes, two different lives) but halfway through the book they become interlocked. Betty has been telling her story to Poppy and at last the realisation dawns why. But it takes time during which you learn about the two women and their very different lives.
I found Betty’s story engrossing from the start, and it became even more fascinating as her story unfolded. It was real and perfectly pitched in the time and the mores of her youth. Poppy’s story makes you want to scream at her. Each time you hit her section of the book, you wonder how much further she’ll blindly walk into this nightmare.
The ending is a rollercoaster of twists and turns. Your heart is in your throat. You just can’t catch your breath between revelations. It was almost too much for me, but then I am of fragile disposition. Gripping!

Poppy and Stuart have been married for 20 years and had 2 children. In Poppy’s mind, there are two types of women in this world: those who are faithful to their husbands and those who are not. Until now, Poppy never questioned which one she was. But when handsome, charming Matthew Gordon walks back into her life after almost two decades, that changes. Poppy makes a single mistake and that mistake will be far more dangerous that she could imagine. Betty is Poppy’s mother in law and she adores Poppy. The story is told by Poppy and a letter Betty has wrote to Poppy detailing her mistakes and regrets in her life, but how do they connect to the present situation? ✨

The book kicks off with a death and a bang. Someone gets pushed in front of an incoming train at Waterloo station. You don’t know if this was a simple accident or who pushed the person. From that moment, you as the reader can not put this book down. It is fast paced, the alternating character chapters was good. I really liked Betty’s character and getting to know her life through the letter. Throughout the book, there are snippets of a court case and the final chapters brings the character stories together. Highly recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for an ARC via my kindle in exchange for an honest review. Published May 2020. 5 🌟

The story is told from the dual perspectives of Poppy and her mother-in-law Betty. Both women have made a mistake and we see them struggle to come to terms with what they have done. They didn't mean to hurt anyone but people have been hurt. Shouldn't they pay for their mistakes? Don't they deserve to be punished.
An easy read that I couldn't put down. Loved it.

A strong ensemble of characters and a well executed plot keep this book steadily heading towards its final denouement. Beginning with a death, and mainly concerning the thoughts of the two main protagonists, Polly and her Mother in law Betty, we learn the facts behind and leading up to that death. This book is very well written and hard to put down. I highly recommend it, and would like to thank Netgalley and the Publishers for this early readers copy.

A really good, well written page turner. Poppy, a mother of two, runs an Extra's agency and is married to Stuart a dentist. Stuarts mother, Betty, lives with them. The story starts with a dramatic death at a London tube station and the book wends its way to how that death occurs. Bettys story alternates with Poppy's, I found Betty's story a lot more engaging than Poppy's but both were necessary to create the flow of the story and the inherent tension. Definitely good escapism

'what a tangled web we weave when we deceive' is the mantra running through this book.

Totally entrancing and well written this book is a real page turner and I was reluctant to put it down.

A good distraction thriller from Jane Cory. Poppy really does make a mistake when her ex happens to turn up at a work function and they get chatting about old times. The book jumps between the build up to the consequence of this mistake and what happened afterwards, with all the effects on her life and family laid bare. To say more would ruin it really - I enjoyed overall but it’s not a five star for me as I felt the end was a little compressed. All the same, there’s absolutely no pandemic references in this one and if you want a bit of escapism into thriller land you might enjoy it.

This was an enjoyable book, the story switches between Poppy's story and Betty's
Poppy runs her own extras agency, her husband Stuart is a dentist. Betty is her mother in Law.
At a works party Poppy bumps into her first love Matthew and that's where her life starts to unfold.

When Poppy meets her first love by chance she is tempted to have an affair. After all, her husband Stuart regularly spurns her advances and indeed may be straying himself. However she resists only to succumb later. Lust satisfied, she realises she's made a mistake. But Matthew, her ex, isn't inclined to let her go.

I found this to be a very readable book, albeit ultimately unbelievable. There are too many things in it which don't ring true but in these strange lockdown times it kept my attention and for that I am very grateful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Poppy and Stuart have been married for nearly twenty years and have two teenage daughters. Poppy has never dreamt of being unfaithful until the handsome Matthew Gordon comes back into her life after almost two decades. Poppy soon makes one mistake - a mistake that is more dangerous than she could ever imagine. Someone is going to pay for it with their life.....

This was a well written book which was fast paced. I can’t say I liked the characters very much but they made a good story. It is told in chapters of Betty who is Poppy’s mother-in-law and Poppy herself.

Another first read by this Author and it certainly won’t be the last! I really enjoyed reading this.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Woah, I don't know Jane Corry keeps coming up with these fantabulous books, but I hope it never stops. This one was brilliant, and it only took me a few chapters to become hooked.

I think if this book was to have a message it's that all actions have consequences, far more reaching than you may first think.

I mean Poppy knows pretty much instantly and cheating on her husband, with her first love when he reappears was in fact a mistake - but what isn't so apparent is just how huge an error of judgment that is, and the far reaching effects it can have on everyone she knows and loves.

This is a very hard book to describe, as I would hate to give away any spoilers, but suffice to say it is a gripping story, told from three viewpoints - Poppy, her mother in law Betty and also snippets from a trial.

Betty's story was without a doubt a highlight for me, from her time as a young girl, throughout her marriage and right up to the present day, what she had to go through, and put up with for the sake of family, is heart wrenching, but at the same time as she herself says, it was just the way things were in those days.

Equally though I did really enjoy Poppy's story, I felt for her at times, at others wanted to know why she was making such bad decisions, while understanding her too. There is a whole lot of depth to this book and it was a pleasure to read each and every word, and to see just how things unfolded.

You know from the prologue and blurb that someone dies, but just who, and why - well it's compulsive reading to find out.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,