An incredibly addictive read that shows the bonds of motherhood. I loved every second of it. Charlotte writes in a way that captures the attention of her readers and holds onto them with full force until the final page. You never know how things are going to turn out in this and even though Gabriella doesn’t always deserve it, you kinda hope she gets a happy ending.

A Double Life is a captivating, well researched, heart in your mouth kind of book and there is always the thought in the back of your head whilst your reading saying “I’m glad that isn’t me!”

I got into this book really easily and liked the plot involving Gabriella but as the book went on I struggled to keep up with how Isobel’s story linked or why it really mattered. I found the ending disappointing and felt that it wasn’t really a completed story for me.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

This book was ok but nothing startling. Started better than it finished. Characters were predictable as was the plot.

‘A Double Life’ focuses on the unravelling lives of two women. Isobel works for a local paper; alcohol and drugs cushion her from one day to the next. After a big night out, she sees a young woman being attacked on Hampstead Heath but is so wasted that she does nothing to help at the time. Consumed with guilt, she begins to investigate, convinced that a crime has taken place. She’s not wrong.
Gabriela works for the FCO. Her supportive partner is devoted Tom, a great dad, who mostly looks after the couple’s young children, Sadie and Callum, whilst Gabriela maintains long office hours. However, although she enjoyed a successful posting to Moscow, promotion seems to elude her and she becomes disillusioned, questioning the value of pretty much everything in her life. Yes, she loves her children but cannot bear the thought of devoting much time to them. Is she damaged; is she selfish; is she just more ambitious than Tom?
The link between the two stories is hinted at several times throughout the novel and when the revelations come, they are not unexpected. It’s difficult to have any sympathy for Gabriela’s situation as her several appalling decisions could easily have been avoided. Nevertheless, there are moments when it’s interesting to predict what she might do next.
This is a lengthy read, yet the plot does not altogether justify the length. Philby’s opening chapter certainly pulls in the reader: why is Gabriela leaving her family; is she running away from danger; is she a spy? However, this tension is rarely repeated. The final (rather frustrating) pages leave room for a sequel but I’m not sure that I’m particularly interested in what either of these women will do next as I can’t quite believe in either of them.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Colins UK, The Borough Press for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

This book was really readable. There are two main characters, Gabriela and Isobel. At first, their lives and their narratives seem completely separate; Gabriela works for the FCO and lives in leafy North London with her husband and two children, whereas Isobel lives in Camden, working as a journalist for a local newspaper. As the book progresses, links between their lives are hinted at and finally emerge. From Isobel's point of view, the plot turns on an early morning walk across Hampstead Heath, when she believes she saw and heard the killing of a young woman. For Gabriela, a chance encounter with her boss while o secondment to Moscow sets in motion a chain of events that eventually lead to her expulsion from the FCO and into a double life of deceit and betrayal. Both women seem to be threatened by unknown enemies, and the webs of truth and lies they both spin increasingly threaten to unravel. The narrative moves at a fast pace to the final denouement where the links between the two women are finally revealed. I was completely hooked into the story and couldn't put this book down. I have two criticisms however. Firstly, Gabriela's story is peppered with rather clunky and obvious hints about the way her life will eventually unravel. Secondly, although the ending of the book is as dramatic as the plot, and while it reveals the links between its two protagonists, it is rather abrupt and left me feeling slightly disappointed, as if the author herself wasn't quite sure of the best way to bring things to a satisfactory close. Enjoyed it nonetheless!

Love this author’s books. This hasn’t disappointed. I have loved everything about this book and devoured this book in just hours. This is definitely a five star book and one I will be recommending

Gabriela is a senior officer at the FCO’s counter-terrorism unit.
She is ambitious and driven and strives for a promotion.
But her plans are put on hold when she gets pregnant.
Coming back to work after her maternity leave, she feels that something is wrong.
Isobel is a journalist, working for a local paper. One night, she witnesses an attack, and as she investigates, she uncovers a network of human trafficking.

I read the author's previous book, and while it was a reasonably enjoyable read, I thought it was slow going, with an ending that left me confused. However, I was still curious about her newest novel when I requested the ARC.
Unfortunately, I found this book not to be to my taste.
I did prefer this family-focused plot to the spy angle of the previous book, but it was still slow, and I had difficulty getting into it.
The two main characters were unrelated, apart from a small connection through a mutual contact, and if it wasn't for Isobel's thread providing some suspense, the story would have been devoid of any action.
The ending was, yet again, abrupt, and the only thing that saved the book from getting one star was the fact that it offered some sort of conclusion to the previous book.
However, I am sure that this novel will find its fans, so I recommend you check it out yourself.

A Double Life is an absorbing read that captivates your attention from the very first paragraph. Full of mystery and intrigue, it's a fast paced and wonderfully intense read.

A Double Life is a suspenful thriller that follows Gabriela through her work life, motherhood and her increasingly tricky and complex relationships.

While you're slightly left wondering 'How would that be possible though?' and you will need to suspend disbelief at points it's still an exciting and interesting read, worth picking up for any thriller lover.

I've never read anything by Charlotte Philby before, and I will admit that my interest in her work was based not on reports of her abilities, but instead upon her personal history, as she is the granddaughter of Kim Philby, arguable one of the most famous communist double-agents in history. As such, I was particularly excited to read her work, especially given the advance praise for this book described it as one focusing on international espionage, surely an area in which a spy's granddaughter would excel!

Now, I will say that when I requested this book, I had no idea of the plot beyond the fact that it would include espionage, as the the summary given on NetGalley was brief and not particularly helpful - 'THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY. AND THEN THERE’S THE TRUTH'. Intriguing, yes, but not very useful! So when I saw the summary on GoodReads and realised it was a female led novel I was thrilled! Indeed, a real strength of this book was its focus on complex female characters, especially when you consider that the spy/espionage genre is traditionally based around stories of men and their adventures, with women being very one dimensional and stereotypical. In the past I have struggled to engage with spy/espionage based books, and it's a genre I normally don't bother with reading. But Philby's personal history plus her refreshing use of realistic and interesting female characters convinced me to give it a go, and I'm very glad I did.

The writing is simply brilliant, particularly the dialogue, which as we all know can sometimes be the weakest element of a book. I love the way that Gabriela and Isobel were both very different characters with very different voices, and seeing how their stories intertwined over time was fascinating to see. It also made for an incredibly tense read - yes, this book is long, but once it gets going you are so gripped by wanting to find out what will happen and how everything connects!

All in all, this is a fantastic book, representing a fresh and exciting new voice in a rather traditional genre. The writing is superb, the plot is unique and very well developed, and the characters are both women who are flawed yet likeable, even if you don't always agree with their actions. Definitely a book I'd recommend, and an author to look out for!

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reading copy from NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

This was an exciting drama that I had a great time reading. The book was very well written and the characters were believable. Highly recommended!

A Double Life - Charlotte Philby

🌟🌟🌟🌟
Domestic thriller meets the world of surveillance and subterfuge, A Double Life is Charlotte Philby’s new novel. (And yes, she is related to British double agent Kim Philby who is her Grandfather).

After thoroughly enjoying her first novel Part of the Family, I couldn’t wait for the follow up. The story is narrated from the POV of Gabriela Shaw (Foreign Office negotiator & mother to Callum & Sadie) and Isobel Mason (local rag journalist with a hash habit) whose lives intertwine as Isobel investigates an international network of human trafficking. Philby explores the effects that lies and deceit have on family and relationships in this sophisticated thriller set between London and Moscow. In a clever reversal of the norm, it is Gabriela who leads a double life, a role which is normally reserved for men. Gabriela’s life slowly starts to implode under the weight of her deceit, and as Isobel gets closer to the truth, the tension builds to an almost unbearable level. There is a brilliant sense of impending dread in the final chapters which made my heart race over the final pages.

While this is a stand alone novel, it’s also a tie in to Part of the Family, and provided continuity and closure on some issues which was very satisfying. For this reader, an unexpected and very pleasant surprise! Philby has said that her family history has given her a “grim understanding” of the lasting impact of espionage. A Double Life explores how you cannot trust even those you trust. This is such an enjoyable book with multi layered, whip-smart plot lines and I was delighted to read that Philby has already started work on book 3.
Very Highly recommended. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperfictionpr for this book in return for my honest review.

#ADoubleLife #NetGalley
Charlotte puts you on the edge of your seat with this suspense thriller. A must read.
Even a coin has two sides then why not humans? Everyone has two sides one good and one bad. They show their good sides and hide their bad. That side reveals when we know them enough.
There're two sides to every story and here's no exception.
Gabriela, a senior negotiator in the FCO’s counter-terrorism unit, runs a small and powerful team based in Whitehall.
Isobel is a journalist working for the local paper in Camden
Gabriela returns from a seven-month stint in Moscow, something doesn’t seem right.
Gabriela’s life begins to unravel, Isobel gets closer to the story. With one desperate to uncover the truth, and the other determined to hide it.
What's the truth?
I loved both characters. Dialogues of the story are mind blowing and are the main strength of it.
Narration of the story is wonderful. Although its a bit lengthy story but it's interesting to know that ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.