The premise of this book is good and it the story starts off fast paced and interesting
The second half of the book was nowhere near as good. It lost some of its momentum
An average book

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

This book begins with every parents' worst nightmare, while Matt ran quickly into the corner shop someone came along and took his car, with his 3 children in the back. But if Matt and Annabelle think things can't get any worse they are in for a big shock.
This book is set at the very beginning of the pandemic, those unsure days when we tried so hard to convince ourselves that if the virus did manage to breach our borders it would be a flash in the pan. This gives the story a kind of sinister undertone, just a little bit of menace in the background. The rest of the story is positively labyrinthine, there are so many twists and red herrings. It made the ending almost anticlimactic but not quite. This is a standalone story by an author who has really started to stand out as a great psychological thriller writer. Well worth 5 stars.

The book begins just as Covid strikes, and Matt Westbrook, rather than take his 3 children into a supermarket with an unknown virus circulating, leaves them in his car while he nips in. When he returns the car is gone, along with his 3 children. What happens then is a twisted story of trying to find out who has his children…any why?

The story begins well, and you can straight away connect with Matt. We’ve all been there, trying to decide if you can get away with quickly running in for a pint of milk without having to get all the kids out of the car. I felt Matt’s horror at discovering the car missing and it left me with that dread in the pit of my stomach when it’s clear the children are as well. The storyline was initially strong, and the chapters alternated between different characters perspectives both in present day and a few years before. We get to find out the background of the two main characters, and it did help to plant a few seeds as to who might be behind it all!

I have to admit, whilst the storyline did keep you on the edge of your seat with the suspense of it all, it did slow up a little through the middle of the book. I also found the idea of it a little unrealistic, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did make me take it less seriously. I did, however, enjoy the ending (even though I guessed who was involved) and found that I had moved back to the edge of my seat by the time of the reveal! It was an enjoyable, easy to read story, and I would definitely try more by this author.

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

Having thoroughly enjoyed Alex Lake's previous thriller "Seven Days" as well as his debut "After Anna" , I was excited to delve into this author's unique style once again. I say he has a unique style and yet I can't actually put my finger on exactly what makes his books stand out from the rest...but they do. Well, for me anyway. Even if I have missed a few others along the way.

What would you do if, on your way home, you stop a corner shop and, as it's only for a few quick minutes, leave your kids in the car and then come out just mere minutes later to discover your car, along with your children, were gone? You'd call the police, right? Right. But what if you then got a text message spookily at that very moment telling you not to? Ignore it and call them anyway? Maybe. But then what if another text message follows informing you that if you did you would never see your children again? Hesitation...then nope. Your children's lives are at stake. Would you, really? Personally, I'd probably call the kidnapper's bluff and call them anyway since they have the resources and the manpower to track them down that we don't. But...then we wouldn't have an exciting fast paced thriller that such a fun read...would we?

And that's the conundrum Matt Westbrook and his author wife Annabelle face when Matt stopped to buy groceries and left their three children in the car for a few moments. He had thought they were safe. He was only gone for a few moments and the child locks were activated so there was no way they could have gotten out of the car without climbing into the front seat. So where did they go?

And then the text messages began.

"Do not call the police. If you do, you will never see your children again."

That's it...plead to the parent in them. They would never deny their children nor their safety so of course they would do what the kidnapper had anticipated they would do...they wouldn't call the police, thus waiting for further demands. And when it comes...it is nothing like they expect it to be. The kidnapper doesn't want money. So what do they want?

The ultimatum...your kids for your wife. The kidnapper wants Annabelle.

And so the rollercoaster begins as Matt and Annabelle at first try to work out who is behind this. Is it someone they know? A crazed fan? Or something they have yet to consider? And why, if they had wanted Annabelle, did they not take her in the first place? But time is running out as they work to meet the kidnapper's demands with a little plan of their own at play. They only have a few hours to decide. But more to the point, will it work?

Addictive from start to finish, THE CHOICE really is about an ultimate choice that threatens to change their lives forever. Could you do it? I don't know if I could...but then the kidnapper is relying on something primal that will speak to the heart of the parent - your children or yourself? The concept is incredibly unique, as is the plot that is both complex and imaginative. What the reader discovers is that there is so much more to this twisted tale than meets the eye.

Told over two timelines, THE CHOICE begins with the main event - the kidnap - and the hours that follow. Then it rewinds to 2004 and Matt's university days and things begin to get interesting. We are given key events from Matt and Annabelle's past - from when they met, married and had their first child to Annabelle's rise as an accomplished author. We are even given a whole bunch of crazy characters from an obsessed ex, a weird fan who is just that little bit creepy enough to get your spidey senses tingling and a sister with a warped sense of loyalty. And from this we need to really pay attention or we could miss a vital clue.

When the reveal came, which is about three quarters of the way through, I wasn't at all shocked because I had learnt to expect the unexpected; to not go for the blindingly obvious; to delve a little deeper and peel back the layers to piece together my own hypothesis. I'd not only worked out who the kidnapper was but also why...which is a lot harder to figure out because it seriously is so far fetched it certainly wouldn't occur to most people. It is a whole bunch of crazy put together as one deranged and twisted thrill-ride.

I loved the various viewpoints we are given, most prominently Matt, Annabelle and the kidnapper to begin with, before we move onto Detective Inspector Wynne's interspersed narrative of the investigation, and even a random witness and police constable towards the end. Even COVID gets a mention, as events take place just weeks before the first lockdown.

I admit that it's the beginning of the book that grabs the reader by the throat initially, dragging them into this fast paced read from the first moment. It doesn't let up as the reader questions everyone and everything. When the reveal came, things tend to slow down a little as we know who it is, right? But this is Alex Lake...and we know it doesn't end there. Don't get too comfortable. Expect the unexpected.

An addictive read, THE CHOICE plays out like a movie thriller which I can easily see on the big screen...without going all Hollywood. The British landscape and setting is far more atmospheric and chilling...and nothing can match that ending.

Enjoyable and fast-paced, THE CHOICE is fast, fun and oh so far fetched. But who cares? It's fresh and fun and the past is wild. The plot may be complex, the kidnapper delusional but it was bloody addictive reading.

A gripping thriller perfect for fans of John Marrs, Nicola Marsh, Kerry Wilkinson, Valerie Keogh and Sheryl Browne.

I would like to thank #TheChoice, #Netgalley, #HarperCollinsUK for an ARC of #TheChoice in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Fantastic, couldn't stop reading. I did have an inkling about the kidnapper before it was revealed but that didn't spoil my enjoyment. Can't wait to read more from the author!

This was an intense read, well written, gripping, all the things a thriller should be.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Alex Lake is beginning to be a favourite author of mine. This one is probably the reason why.

kidnap…
Matt turned his back for a moment. But when he looks around, his car – with his three young children inside – has vanished. Panicked, Matt assumes a car thief has got more than he bargained for, but then he starts to receive text messages: This is a kidnap. If you want to see your children again, you will exchange them for your wife.
Matt and his wife Annabelle are horrified. They can’t involve the police, or their children will be killed. Which means they have to choose: Annabelle, or their children. Either option is unthinkable. But one is inevitable. And they have only hours to make their decision…

A brilliant concept which made me want to read this and find the outcome!

For me, Seven Days is my absolute favourite Alex Lake novel.

After reading the first chapter, I couldn’t put it down. I honestly had all sorts of theories in y head and some proved me right, others proved that I was so wrong. As usual, don’t believe everything that is in front of you.

The story is told at a fast pace, with two different timelines, from when Matt and Annabel met, to the present and switches between them with each new key moment. Wat I did found interesting was to have the kidnapper pov as well. That’s always interesting to read how their mind works and what makes them become the villain of the story.

Great suspenseful story.

Thanks Harper Collins and NetGalley for this book
Unfortunately, I found this boring, even though the synopsis was very promising. It wasn't a gripping thriller more of a soap opera and boring characters.
Sorry not recommending this one.

A parents worst nightmare - Matt turns his back for a moment and in those short minutes his car is taken with his 3 small children inside.
Tense, terrifying and truly fantastic, this gripping, edge of your seat thriller will keep you reading all night,

Matt Westbrook only turned his back for a moment. But when he looks around, his car – with his three young children inside – has vanished. Panicked, Matt assumes a car thief has got more than he bargained for, but then he starts to receive text messages: This is a kidnap. If you want to see your children again, you will exchange them for your wife. Matt and his wife Annabelle are horrified. They can’t involve the police, or their children will be killed. Which means they have to choose: Annabelle, or their children. Either option is unthinkable. But one is inevitable. And they have only hours to make their decision.

This read is quite easy to sum up and that is simply to say how exciting this read is! I was instantly hooked by Lake's all too realistic and also unrealistic plot. Lake manages to tread the fine line between the absurd and the terrifying perfectly. I did find events a bit out there and unbelievable, especially at first, but as the book progresses, it made events all the more terrifying and I could not tear myself away from this read.

I did not think this read has shocking twists, the reveals that are included are somewhat obvious if you sit and think about them. However, the joy and thrill of them comes from Lake delicately leading the reader to the reveal, ensuring the reader gets there ever so slightly before the characters and then you get to experience the satisfaction of being right. This is just such an engrossing, all-consuming read.

Lake flits between present day chapters and flashback chapters and this worked perfectly for the plot. The flashback chapters start to fill in some information gaps for the reader, they help to flesh out the characters and possible suspects as well as hint to possible motives for the present day events. Every chapter Lake includes works with the plot and only adds to the intensity of the read.

'The Choice' is an incredibly intense read, this is so exciting and my heart was racing as I read the terrifying turn of events the characters go through. Lake never lets up the pace until the very end. This is an electrifying thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy.

Matt stupidly leaves his children in the car whilst nipping to the shop and returns a few short minutes later to discover the vehicle gone and his children with it.

The kidnapper wants a ransom - the value is his wife.

This is a great thriller with lots of red herrings thrown into the mix.

We learn a lot about his Matt and Annabel met, their careers and their early lives, where the narrative switched between the current day and the past, which is chronological in its story telling.

There is also the narrative of the kidnapper which I like - I find it interesting to hear their thoughts and what their plans are.

Overall a good thriller, not quite edge of your seat but engaging.

Annabel is a quick thinker under pressure and I liked this about her. Matt is more of a wet blanket but I think that helps to make him seem more a helpless victim in the story.

If you like Alex Lake’s writing you won’t be disappointed by this.

I really enjoyed this book snd read over 2 days. The chapters were short and easy to read - I kept thinking ‘just one more’. I liked the idea of the ransom being Annabelle rather than money but didn’t think the reasoning behind the kidnapper being who he was was very believable, though it was quite easy to guess who it was. It was as though there were lots of brilliant bits that didn’t quite make fantastic - for example o didn’t think it needed the police to tell anabelle they wouldn’t tell what happened. Seemed a pointless addition but I enjoyed the story very much - the way she was moved, the teenager in the boat and the ending were all highlights. I would definitely read another Alex Lake book

The synopsis of this book was very promising and i went in expecting a gripping thriller. However what i got was a cheesy soap opera with characters i didn't care for and a ridiculous antagonist. I didn't really care for the inclusion of covid either.

Annabelle and Matt’s children have been kidnapped, and an unusual ransom has been demanded.

As the backstory is revealed, there isn’t a shortage of unsavory or suspicious characters that the main characters have to consider. It made me wonder what kind of wake we all leave as we simply move through life. Everyone was on my suspect list, and it was so fun checking people off as the story unfolded.

The POV changes and coasting from past and back to the present is seamless. I found the quilted layout and shifting perspectives presented refreshing. The Choice easily held my attention.

I would give this one 4/5 stars. The only way to improve to a five, I think, would have to do with pacing and the explanation of the villain. I wish the energy in the first half matched the second. The resolution was the only real firework in the last half but, to be fair, the ending was excellent. I’m fine with the motivation for the kidnapping and ransom, but the explanation of why the villain is the way they are seemed a little bit lazy and unsatisfying. It may have been better to omit those bits altogether and leave it to the readers imagination. I may have preferred to never read the villain’s POV at all.

Ohh I really enjoyed this book! It was the first book I've read by Alex Lake, but I've purchased the rest since as I really liked this one! It kept me guessing until the very end, gripped me from the start, left me biting my nails in anticipation, kept me nervous and left me wanting more. Would definitely recommend!

I love Alex Lake!! As always a fast paced ride. The story centers around Matt & Annabelle whose children are kidnapped. The ransom- Matts wife. Fraught with tension and unexpected turns this is an enjoyable thriller!