The blurb of Can You See Her? sounded fabulous, the cover eye-catching and I love discovering new authors. When the publisher approved my request to read and review it, without much ado I jumped into the book. Although I don’t dislike short sentences, I did find the author’s writing choppy in parts. For me, this stilted the flow a tad, making it a struggle to turn the pages. But as the plot thickened, I enjoyed the story more.

Often life is compared with pages, chapters if you like. There’s always that before and after which on reflection, makes one wonder whether things should have been done differently or not. Rachel’s past sufferings are valid enough to understand. It’s the here and now that is causing her confusion. Mentally struggling to adapt to subtle and not so subtle changes in her life is basically the crux of the problem. Listening to her feelings of invisibility and what is for her a lack of recognition, prompted me to ask myself why she’d chosen the path she took. Still, at times I appreciated her sentiments, albeit some of her inner thoughts showed me her delicate state of mind.

Also, Rachel’s unusual dreamlike narration worked really well. One of the things I liked was not being able to suss out the twists. While the author kept me guessing, I was entertained with some cleverly written real-life conversational passages. Rachel’s dry wit when voicing her feelings on the aging opposite sex made me smile and she hit the nail on the head when the subject of what us middle-aged ladies go through arose.

The book per se was one that didn’t hold my attention as much as I would have liked it to. A shame because I think with a little tweaking here and there, it could easily have been a four/five-star read. Saying that, I won’t hesitate to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to give an honest review.

Can You See Her? by S.E. Lynes is the gripping story of Rachel, a wife and mother who, in middle age, feels invisible, not only to her family, but within society as a whole. As she struggles to come to grips with this new perception, Rachel becomes interested in local crime stories, particularly in cases that involve knives. During interviews that follow with a forensic psychiatrist, Rachel reveals that she might have more involvement in these local crimes than she dares to believe. Through a series of police transcripts that are interspersed through the narrative, we are provided insight into the lengths that a fragile woman will go to if she feels that she is unseen.

This is a compelling story that will certainly resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to feel relevant in a world that places an increasing premium on youth and vitality. There are many themes to ponder here, including age inequality, menopausal changes, and the growing concerns surrounding violent crime. All are presented thoughtfully, and will certainly linger in the mind long after you finish the narrative.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

When no-one is watching, you can get away with anything…

Can You See Her centres around Rachel, a mid life menopausal woman, who is suffering from the age old 'what has become of me and my life syndrome', her children are both grown up, Keiron is at university and Katie is on a gap year, but never around and when she is, she's always in her room, so Rachel's life feels very mundane as it's just her and Mark and to him, she feels invisible. She's spent most of her adult life looking after others and is secretly yearning the life she used to have, being adored by her husband and needed by her children. What does she need to do to get noticed again? Murder, surely not? Except now she's sat in a room being questioned about killing someone, did she really do it?

The story is mainly told from Rachel's perspective, with police interviews threaded into the story from her husband Mark, daughter Katie, best friend Lisa and her new neighbour Ingrid. Rachel really resonated with me, as I'm sure she will with many women of a certain age, dealing with the onset of menopause, empty nest syndrome and, at times, not feeling needed any more, anyone that has grown up children will understand what I'm saying. Rachel's character was so well depicted, she was funny, emotional and downtrodden all rolled into one and I loved her. I could cheerfully have killed her husband part way through the story, but my attitude towards him changed later on, I'll say no more on that though to avoid spoilers.

This book, like all of Susie's others, draws the reader in, like a spider draws it's prey, she has a knack of teasing you by dripfeeding intrigue chapter after chapter and then BAM, she hits you unexpectedly, square between the eyes, with that twist and what a twist it was! I know I say it every time I read a book by this author, that they just keep getting better, but it's true and this one exceeded my expectations yet again and, yet again, she reduced me to an emotional wreck, I blame the hormones! There is no end to this author's talent, she's amazing and this is glaringly obvious in the work she produces, this book is worth way more than the maximum 5 stars I'm allowed to award it.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I am so impressed with the writting style of this book. I was captived and could not stop reading. I loved the way it all came together.

WOW!! What a book! Extremely well written and in such a clever way.

"There are things I don't know. But I know people are dead, I know I killed them and I know it all started the day I realised I was invisible."

So many people out there also feel invisible. Like nobody is aware of their existence. Especially when you get older. How do you cope with this?

This is what happened to Rachel. Her husband doesn't look at her anymore; she is fighting with her daughter and people just look through her as if she doesn't exist. Then people she met randomly turns up dead and she has gaps in her memory. Was she responsible for their deaths?

A brilliant story that keeps you guessing till the end and I loved the splashes of humour!
Oh, and I learned a new word! 'Somnambulism'

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Susie Lynes is one of my favourite authors, ever since reading her wonderful debut Valentina I devour her books! This one is more of a domestic drama, a study of a family in crisis. Rachel is a middle aged woman who suddenly feels invisible, her family is functioning without her and she increasingly feels isolated and unwanted. On a darker note, people seem to be dying round about her and the novel starts with her being questioned about a number of mysterious deaths. There is a thread of dark humour throughout the book which I really like. Ultimately this book is really sad, it highlights how many people in society feel invisible at some point and the actions they take to cope with this. There is a heartbreaking twist which I definitely didn't see coming and it broke me just a bit reading it. Brilliant book.

Holy moly!!! What a jaw dropper!!!
This book is amazing on so many levels! First off, the story telling is different. When you start reading, you're not quite sure what's going on.Rachel is being interviewed (by the police? a psychologist? We're not entirely sure). There are interludes of snippets of police interviews with her friends and family interspersed between her narrative. This concept had me hook, line, and sinker.
While Rachel is giving her narrative, you are feeling all of her pain, .being an aging woman and feeling invisible, feeling like you are a slave to your family that doesn't appreciate you.. All of these emotions are raw and you can feel that throughout the whole story. Oh, and the other thing, she doesn't know if she killed some people or not.
I absolutely could not put this book down! I'm moving SE Lynes up the list of my favorite authors and cannot wait to read her other books!
A special thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and SE Lynes for providing me with an ARC.

Can You See Her? is Susie Lynes’s seventh psychological thriller and a hard-hitting domestic drama I feel many women will be able to relate to. Rachel Edwards has been married to husband Mark for close to thirty years and they have two grown-up children, Kieran and Katie. Rachel becomes increasingly resentful of her family as she notices that during a party held for nineteen-year-old Katie she is completely invisible to attendees and it isn’t much better when it comes to her husband. She feels as though she is basically a skivvy; put upon to carry out all the menial, boring tasks that they don’t want to do themselves and getting no thanks for it whatsoever. Slaving away day after day she is not far off rock bottom. She’s menopausal and feeling desperately unsexy with her excess pounds and ageing body and when young, slim and beautifully blonde Ingrid becomes a new neighbour Rachel can’t help but be concerned. Not merely because Ingrid seems, in her mind, to be everything she is not but because Mark has totally lost interest in her; the intimacy has vanished from their relationship and they barely even talk or acknowledge one another now. In order to ease some her intense anxiety, she begins taking late-night walks with the dog but when many of those she stopped to converse with during her walks end up being attacked before long she convinces herself she must have been the perpetrator and hands herself in to police.

This is not only a thoroughly enjoyable, compulsive domestic thriller but it also is emotionally impactful in that it explores the issues present within a troubled marriage, topical use of knife crime and the struggle women feel during the ageing process. It is such a relatable story and I found it was easy to engage and empathise with Rachel as a character; she is one of the most beautifully developed and likeable characters I have come across in the genre in a while. Taking the form of interviews with forensic psychiatrist Amanda and transcriptions of interviews with Mark, daughter Katie, best friend Lisa and the new neighbour, Ingrid, we get a fully rounded narrative due to the different perspectives on the situation. It’s difficult nowadays to find thrillers that are original but this was refreshingly so and this really nabbed my attention and had me hanging on every word. Compelling, full of mystery with some exciting and unpredictable twists and stunning reveals; Ms Lynes manages to keep an air of mystery right through to the end. I loved that the author fearlessly broached topics many people avoid: the menopause and how it affects a woman, mental health issues, feelings of inadequacy due to ageing and marriage problems. Mark and Rachel are very different with Mark coming across as a selfish narcissist and Rachel the polar opposite. A heartbreaking but hopeful tale and one that concludes in an explosive fashion. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and S.E. Lynes for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - whew - what a great way to tell this story - it will definitely keep you guessing. 4.5 stars rounded up!

Rachel is the mom of two grown kids, married for 27 years to Mark. Suddenly, Rachel realizes she's invisible to everyone around her unless someone needs something, wants something, or she's done something wrong. She used to turn heads, now people look right through her. If no one can see you, can you get away with murder?

This story is told in the voices of Rachel, who is being interviewed, as well as in police interviews with Rachel's family, friend and neighbor. You should go into this story knowing as little as possible - but definitely read this twisty book!

I’ve read this author’s books before and this one didn’t disappoint. Gripped me from the beginning to the end. Well written and I couldn’t put it down

Brilliant, I have read one other book by this author called MOTHER. I enjoyed that one but found CAN YOU SEE HER? so much more compelling. I really loved this one and it kept the suspense throughout. I just couldn't stop reading and trying to guess the plot but LYNES did a great job to keep me surprised. I had such a fantastic time reading this and now have put all LYNES books into my wishlist. I can't wait to ready more.

Can you see her? Indeed I can! The main character Rachel Edwards is clearly visible having had the life breathed into her by the ingenious writing of SE Lynes. She may well be a revelation to the young and perhaps male members of society, but for a whole generation of women she is merely holding up a mirror in which we are all reflected one way or another. Lynes has a wicked sense of humour whch enables her characters to make you inwardly smile whilst weeping for the bloody injustices life hurtles at us when we are least able to deflect them. Of course ... this is a psychological thriller so it has twsists and turns aplenty. It's a great read . Challenging and poignant. It comes at you from a totally different angle, from inside your own head. You will love it.

This is a tightly woven psychological thriller that I am surprised I enjoyed so much!

Rachel used to turn heads when she entered room. Now, no one sees her. She is afraid that she has done something terrible...

I started this last night, and it didn't immediately grip me. I found the writing to be a bit all over the place, and I wasn't sure I could continue with the book. However, the more I read, I got used to the writing, and I found myself intrigued.

This book touches on many important issues, such as knife crime, loneliness, menopause, and more. I thought they were skilfully woven into the narrative to create a suspenseful tale.

I felt completely absorbed in this story, and felt like I was feeling the emotions of Rachel throughout. This is definitely a sloooooow burn, but the payoff is so worth it. I would recommend this if you don't mind slower psychological thrillers that touch on real life issues.

This is my first book by S.E. Lynes, and I m definitely interested in checking out her back catalogue, and I will be keeping an eye out for new releases.

Huge thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel feels invisable to everyone including her family. She tells her story to Amanda, her psychologist. She's is a confused state of mind. Rachel is a middle aged whose married with two children.

I really felt for Rachel and her fragile state. This is a thought provoking read. The first third of the book I found quite hard going but I'm glad I stuck with it. Along with murder it covers jealousy, revenge and the menopause. The characters are well rounded and the plotline is intriguing. Another enjoyable read from the author.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author S.E. Lynes for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After the strangeness of the last few weeks I was certainly ready for my SE Lynes major event fix! I had been really struggling with my reading mojo but Can You see Her resurrected it.

I think a lot of us could emphasise with Rachel, the lead character. From feeling like the centre of her family's world she has slowly faded into the background as her children have grown older and her husband pays her no attention. She drifts through her daily routine, a shadow of her former self...in fact she may as well be invisible...and what could she do if no one could actually see her?

It's obvious that Rachel is suffering with her mental health and that it's more than just a "funny do". The story is told through a series of interviews between Rachel, her husband, best friend and others. It is clear that murders have been committed but could Rachel really have been driven to kill??

Once more the author has written a book that spoke to me on many levels; my eldest teenager now has the nickname of "pig in knickers" after a certain part of the book and these family interactions are so relatable and humorous! While there is pain, darkness and sorrow in the pages there's also always a little bit of sunshine to make you smile.

I'm pretty sure I say this every time but this definitely is my favourite SE Lynes book...until the next one!

I’ve read books before by this author, and have found them to be deep, thought provoking and thrilling reads. Personally, I felt this book did start slowly, but it did give it chance to lay down the tracks perfectly for Rachel’s story, building up the suspense and tension as to why she is talking to a forensic psychiatrist and why she has been interviewed by the police. However, as the story moves on, it gets to the point where everything suddenly just clicks into place, the pace of the book increases ten-fold and the reason for all the build-up is revealed!

Rachel is a character which most women will be able to empathise with. She’s been married a long time, has grown up children and is at that age in life where it feels like everything is creeping up on you and going wrong. Her husband and children don’t seem to notice her anymore, almost like she’s invisible! Rachel’s emotions are better dealt with by going on late night walks with the dog and talking to strangers whilst she’s on them. When some of the people she has talked to turn up dead, Rachel begins to wonder if she is responsible for their deaths.

Rachel’s story is really interesting and captivating, although emotional and upsetting at times. She does though have an almost droll sense of humour whilst telling her story, giving a little bit of light heartedness to an otherwise dark and tense plot. I liked Rachel’s character though and whilst I couldn’t initially believe she was a killer, my opinions swapped and changed throughout along with her storyline!

As I’ve already said, the pace of the story picks up well into the book, and the conclusion of Rachel’s story is completely unexpected and one which I didn’t guess at all! Told mainly from Rachel’s perspective, this is a unique and hypnotising read which will have you hooked by the last page. If you feel it’s a bit slower at the beginning, trust me, keep at it because it will definitely be worth it!! As I would expect from this author, this read is a thrilling and emotional one which will have you questioning everything about Rachel’s story! Would definitely recommend!!

Did Rachel commit horrible crimes? How reliable is she as a narrator? She's telling her story to a forensic psychiatrist now and hopefully all will become clear. How many of us have suddenly realized that we've become more or less invisible to those around us? It happens, yes it does, to many women as they age. Less interesting, less visible. In Rachel's case, she feels it more than most, especially when a young, attractive woman moves in next door and her husband Mark seems to be paying attention to her in the same way he used to dote on Rachel. Rachel has had mental health issues in the past so what to make of her current obsession with knife murders and her assertion that she's guilty? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A well drawn character, a sadly believable scenario, and good writing made this a page turner.

3.5 stars
This was a slow burner for me as second half of the book really took off.
We follow Rachel who thinks she has become invisible, to herself, and her family. She develops an unhealthy obsession with victims of violent crime and keeps news stories in a folder.
We learn Rachel’s story through her own narrative and also through a series of interviews with her psychiatrist, Amanda.
These interviews are not just with Rachel, but also with her husband and daughter, her friend and her neighbour.
The book is clever how it combines all the accounts into an intriguing story and still took me by surprise.
I won’t say anything else as I don’t want to spoil it did you.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I was very excited to read this as I love Ms Lynes books. I did find the first third hard going, and I wasn't sure if I was in the right state of mind to persevere, but I'm so glad I did. It turned out to be a great 'edge of your seat' murder mystery whodunit.

Rachel is in a room, in a somewhat confused state, with a lady she can't quite remember, talking through a list of murders she must have committed, but can't quite remember. Over time, she talks though her story, and her feeling of becoming invisible, how she met all the murder victims and the circumstances.

A very powerful story that will keep you guessing right to the end. A very clever story.

Can You See Her? by S.E.Lynes tells the story of Rachel Edwards. Her life begins to unravel when she reaches that point in her life where she feels invisible as she puts it. To compound the situation a number of violent crimes occur in a short space of time. Rachel is connected to all the victims as these attacks happen soon after she had contact with each one of them. She ultimately gives herself in believing that she committed the crimes. The book takes you in from the first page and does not let go until the last page. One is transported into Rachel's life with the introduction of each new character. The characters range from family members to random strangers and feel like a personal introduction by the protagonist herself. Her emotions, her relationships and encounters are palpable in their descriptions. This story will resonate with those experiencing empty nest syndrome. This book has a lot of discussion points that will appeal to reading groups.