Imagine driving to your local shop to pick up some groceries, your 3 children are. In the car with you. You reach the shop and rather than have the hassle of taking the children with you into the shop you leave them safely in the car in their car seats. Sure you’re only going to be 5 minutes. You leave the shop and discover your car is gone with your children inside. This is the horror that faces Matt wellbrook,. Who has taken his children and why. He later on receives a text message from the kidnapper. When he hears what the ransom is he completely shocked.

Oh my goodness what a excellent suspense thriller this was. This book honestly had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I,was reading it. Admittedly I guessed who the culprit was quite early on but that in no way took away from my enjoyment of reading this book. An absolute roller coaster of. a read that left me holding my breath at times.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I swear my heart was in my stomach the whole time I reading this book! Firstly a 2 minute shop leads to the kidnapping of your 3 young children, and then, if that's not bad enough already, the kidnapper then wants to swap the children for your wife?!?!
I had instant empathy for Matt, what a situation to be put in! Terrifyingly heartstopping!!
I didn't instantly guess who the kidnapper was but I had figured it out before the reveal, but I still very much enjoyed this read.
Well thought-out, clever, emotional, perfectly-paced, engrossing, and massively intense; this is definitely a read that I highly recommend!

Full disclosure; I love Alex Lakes' books, they are one of my absolute favourite authors. I was delighted to receive an ARC of this new book.
As always the writing is superb, atmospheric, hard hitting and the plot is gripping and exciting, I feel all Alex Lake books are unique, nothing else like them, and this book had me gripped from the start.
In my view this is not one off their best books though, I have reread all other other books but in all honesty would not read this one again. Whilst it is very good and well written, it didnt quite have the excitement and twistiness of the other books, usually I cant guess what is going to happen but with this I did guess and felt not very much really happened and the conclusion wasn't as special as I have come to expect from the other books.
This is still a great read from a great writer, just for me not quite as good as previous superb books.

My exact words when I finished this book ... "Wow - that was good!"

This is sold as being "The gripping new thriller you won’t be able to put down!" and I am going to have to agree ... I wasn't able to put it down and read it way too late into the night but it was worth it. From the very first to the very last page, there is no let up and it grabs you, throws you around and doesn't let go.

I loved everything about it - the characters, the plot, the pace, the writing style - everything and it's not often I say that. The only "complaint" I have is that it is so good, I found myself reading it faster and faster because I was desperate to find out where the next twist and turn would take me so I ended up finishing it way too quickly and felt sad when it had ended.

I have read a couple of books by Alex Lake previously "Seven Days" and "Copy Cat" and this is by far the best one yet and I very much look forward to reading the next which is due out in 2021 - a sneak peak of which I found at the end of The Choice.

Thanks must go to HarperCollinsUK, HarperFiction via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

When Matt pops to the shop leaving his three children in the car he assumes everything is fine until he comes out of the shop and his car and the kids have gone. Soon a text arrives from the kidnapper and Matt has to tell his wife, Annabelle, their is a ransom demand.
This was such a gripping read that I devoured so quickly! Absolutely loved it! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you enjoy an intense psychological thriller then this book is definitely for you. I have read a few books by this author Alex Lake and this latest story di not disappoint in being an edge of the seat, nail biting novel.
Annabelle, Matt and their three childrens lives are turned upside down when one day Matt goes into a shop leaving his children in the car alone only to return finding the car and kids have vanished. It doesnt take long for the kidnapper to make contact with an unusual ransom demand.
The narration is often repetitive but I found this added to make this story a more chilling and compelling read.
My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC these are my own thoughts on The Choice.

‘The Choice’ by Alex Lake is a wonderfully tense, rollercoaster of a tale as the reader is plunged into the action from the opening page. Matt has popped in the local shop to pick up a couple of essential items, while leaving his three children in the car. Planning on being only a few minutes, he believes that the children will be safe. Someone else has other ideas….. and when Matt leaves the shop, he discovers the car and children and missing. Now, the nightmare begins. Racing home to tell his wife of what has happened, Matt and Annabelle are thrust headfirst into a nightmare of epic portions. Their children has been kidnapped and will be return safely, under two conditions, 1) the police are not contacted and 2) Annabelle is exchanged for the children.

The story is told from several points of view – Matt, Annabelle and the kidnapper in the present day. There are also frequent flashbacks back to 2004, when Matt was attending university and a relationship broke down. This manner of storytelling, seemed to link the past and present – possible our kidnapper would prove to be the disgruntled ex-girlfriend? Of course, this would also make for a very obvious storyline and I wondered if there could possibly be a twist in the tale. Yes, there is but I will not reveal the impact of this twist or how it plays out on the storyline.

Overall, this is an enjoyable story and I did indeed feel sympathy for the parents and their predicament. I found the reasoning for the kidnapping a little less easy to accept and wish that more time was spent on developing this relationship and background, but having said that, ‘The Choice’ left my heart pounding and my fingers rapidly tapping on my e-reader to reach the next page. Worth a read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins, and Alex Lake for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. I'm a huge fan of Alex Lake, I've just finished The Last Lie and was delighted to have the opportunity to read this one. A thrilling read with a killer twist. Edge of the seat reading! Alex is fast becoming one of my favourite authors!

Seeing your car with your children in it has gone is something as a parent you never want to experience.

But for Matt his nightmare is just beginning.

I love Alex Lake’s novels. Each one has been better than the previous and you know you’ll be blown away by whatever comes next.

I found The Choice to be everything I expected. It was tense, it brought fear, it made me feel nervous and it was gripping, edge of the seat; thrilling example of wonderfulness!

It was a great book!
And you should pre-order as soon as you can!

Loved it - I was hooked from the first few pages! Every parents nightmare, children kidnapped and the ransom demanded? - their mother!
Matt and Annabelle have a choice to make - do they agree to not call the police and sacrifice Annabelle to save their children? A very fast paced book that keeps you guessing throughout! My first book by the author but definitely not the last!

I’ve recently read one of Alex’s novels so when I saw this came up on NetGalley I had to request. And I have no idea what to say to give it the credit that it deserves. It’s absolutely fab and I can’t wait to see what Alex brings next!

I don't even know what to say to give this book the credit that it so deserves of im at all honest.

Alex Lake is just something of a novel genius. The way the story is written drags you in right from the very first page. It is always a story that is so relatable in every single way. Eventhough you meet these characters on the worst days of their lives, you always feel yourself routing for them to come out the other side. And Alex sure does put her characters through some utter turmoil.

The storyline of this book is just atounding and I feel that anyone in the world with a maternal instinct will feel every single thing that Annabelle feels. The terror, the turmoil and the indecision of what to do for the best. When ultimately all you would ever want is for your children to be okay.

Alex Lake has become one of my favourite authours, and I just cannot wait to see what she brings to the pages of her next stunning and twisty next book! Roll on 2021!

The story centres itself on Matt Westbrook and his family. Matt leaves his 3 children in the car when he nips into the shop. Whilst in there his car is stolen with his children inside in. It soon becomes clear that his children have been kidnapped, the ransom is his wife Annabelle. The story flicks between present day and 2004 when Matt and Annabelle are both at university. The premise of this is to provide suspects as to who the kidnapper is. I thought I had the kidnapped figured out, but I was wrong, but once my initial theory was incorrect, it soon became clear who the kidnapper was. A fast paced, good read with short chapters (i love short chapters; they mean I can still read in between life getting in the way).

Oh m y word as an avid fan of this author's books I was so excited to read this and devoured it in a day. I couldn't put it down and is definitely the best Alex lake book so far. I loved how the basis for this twisty and gripping psychological thriller was set in current times with the reality of co vid 19 and how this was alluded to and cleverly intertwined within the plot. The plot was very tense anecdotes reader on their toes every time I thought I had come to a conclusion as to who was behind the kidnapping of Matt and Annabelle children from outside the local convenience stor e I was then made to realise that my initial instincts were wrong. Highly recommend this as the perfect summer read and escapism

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading. I even bought the book as well!
The Choice by Alex Lake is a psychological thriller, which has a very clever and well thought out storyline. I have read other books by Alex Lake and know that they are always a well written and clever read. The Choice concerns the kidnap of three children, whose father had left them in his car whilst he did some shopping. The car is gone when he comes out and the children missing. There is a ransom to be paid, it isn’t money it is the wife and mother in exchange for the children. This was an engrossing and intriguing read, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Highly recommended.

A car disappears with three young children inside. At first Matt thinks he's being pranked by one of his friends. Then he gets a text message from the kidnapper asking for a ransom. Surprisingly they don't demand money but Anabelle, Matt's wife.
The story is gripping right from the starts and keeps you on your toes till the end. It is narrated from 3 points of view: Matt's, Annabelle's ad the kidnapper. In between there are flashback to when the couple met, when Anabelle's career started and when the children were born. It brings a lot of suspects but I wasn't able to decide who could be the kidnapper right till it was revealed. It wasn't expecting that.
The ending is quite predictable though. Overall it was a good book, interesting, addictive story and simple but enjoyable style of writing.
I would recommend it to all the psychological thrillers lovers. You won't be disappointed.

Annabelle was at home feeling that she had a cold coming, and her husband Matt took their three children to get some shopping.
Matt left the children in the car as he knew he would only be gone a short time.
When he came out the shop the car was gone including his children
Then Matt got a message I have your children, do not call the police.
On returning home with more messages coming. The kidnapper did not want money he wanted Annabelle.
The story then got a. Bit silly and could have been a lot better.
Thanks netgalley for allowing me to read this.

I very much enjoyed this excellent thriller, describing the unbearable moral dilemma faced by the protagonist. And yet he persevered! Highly recommended!

Unfortunately although I read this book fairly quickly it was pretty predictable with no real suspense. I have really enjoyed other books by Alex Lake (After Anna, Killing Kate and Seven Days) but this one felt a bit rushed. I would still read more from this author as I usually really like his style.

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview of this book. I found it ok. The plot line was predictable & really far fetched which is disappointing. The way in which each chapter was numbered individually according to who was narrating was really annoying and pointless. I guessed who the kidnapper was fairly early on so I felt it was written in a hurry.