Jenna, a wife, mother and ED doctor is being stalked and harassed -but why?
She is under pressure at home because of her constant working .
The stalker is leaving ‘presents’ for her and sending emails about her to her work colleagues.
The police are investigating but don’t seem to be getting anywhere then a man is brought in injured to Jenna’s hospital and she finds out this is her stalker. What should Jenna do? This has been driving her to the edge and she is conflicted.. she has all the power not him.
The intensity in this book grow slowly as the book progressed so it took a while for me to get into it.
I also didn’t really like Jenna and didn’t really care what happened to her which detracted from my enjoyment.
Some real scary moments and good twists.
Overall 3 stars for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in return for a fair review.

I read this book within a day it was so engrossing.
Jenny is a A&E doctor, a wife a mother and even more disturbing is that someone is out to get her.
She has a stalker that knows where she lives,works and even where her children go to school.
She always catches glimpses of her stalker but never enough time to take a photo.
The stalker sends her emails leaves harrowing gifts on her doorstep she is on the brink and doesn't know what to do as the police aren't that interested.
One night in A&E Jenny's stalker is brought in after a near fatal accident. Jenny can't believe it, even though she doesn't want to treat her stalker she has a moral obligation to do so.
What does this mean for her and her family and can they know get back to normal?

My thanks to Random House U.K. Transworld for their invitation to read an eARC via NetGalley of ‘One Step Behind’ by Lauren North.

It’s a domestic noir/psychological thriller focusing upon Dr. Jenna Lawson, who is a wife, a mother, and an emergency room doctor. She also is the victim of a stalker.

Clearly her stalker has a lot of free time as every time she leaves the house, she sees him. He also has been leaving creepy gifts in the form of decapitated and mutilated doll heads at her door and cruel emails sent to her and her colleagues. The police don’t seem to be able to do anything and Jenna feels powerless and increasingly stressed.

Then he is brought into Jenna’s A&E following a serious accident and the power is suddenly in her hands.

The narrative viewpoints are split between Jenna and Sophie, the sister of the injured man. We also get flashbacks into Sophie’s earlier life.

Unfortunately although the premise sounded interesting, I just didn’t connect with either Jenna or Sophie as characters. I also didn’t feel convinced by the stalker storyline and the ending with attendant twists fell flat to me.

Overall, this was an okay read but not a memorable one.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

A twisty, gripping, disturbing thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder too see if someone is watching you. I loved the suspense in the novel and wondering just exactly why she had a stalker, what he wanted with her, and why her? Jenna doesn't know him, at least not that she can remember, so why has he been targeting her, leaving her disturbing "gifts" and threatening emails. Not only is she freaking out, her children and husband are also affected as well. Not sure what else to do, she toys with the idea of moving out of their home in an attempt to escape her stalker. Will that be enough for her to flee him once and for all, and for them to restart their lives stress free and safe from their stalker?

I enjoyed the cat and mouse feel of the book, and trying to guess just what the stalker wanted with Jenna. No matter what she did to try to figure out just who he was, she is unable to figure out what he wants with her and her family. Now that he is in hospital after an accident, will the threats and disturbing gifts stop arriving?

An addictive book that you will not be able to stop reading once you've turned the first page. You'll be hooked and want to know what will happen next, and will devour this book until you turn the very last page.

I definitely recommend this book.

Jenna is married to Stuart with two children Beth and Archie and works as an A&E doctor. As if struggling with balancing family life with long shifts, she also has a stalker. He leaves dolls on her doorstep, emails her from numerous different addresses and she spots him hiding in the shadows every time she leaves the house. Then one day, he is bought into A&E after being hit by a bus.
The book also tells the story of Sophie who had a difficult childhood having to look after her adopted brother Matthew.
Jenna's tale is very slow with very little happening apart from her repeating her paranoia and feelings., she comes across as extremely selfish, and whiny. Not a nice person at all.
I managed to guess who her stalker was fairly quickly and the revelation at the end with the explanation was very disappointing.

Jenna is a doctor. She is being stalked as the intensity increases suddenly it appears her stalker has come into hospital.....brilliant from start to finish....expect the unexpected....

I thought the premise of this book was intriguing. Jenna is a busy A&E doctor who has been going through emotional hell thanks to the sinister attentions of a stalker, who has been terrorising her for months. She has only managed to catch a glimpse of him during this time, and the police haven't been able to help. One day the victim of a bus accident is brought into A&E in a critical condition, and Jenna realises that the man lying before her, relying on her to save his life, is her stalker. I had kind of imagined it diving into the complex morality of this situation but it kind of went in a different direction. It's a good page turner, though, with some neat little twists to keep you guessing.

I'm so disappointed! I've been saving 'One Step Behind' for ages now, wanting to read it when I had a day where I could completely focus and devour it in one go. You know, when you're really anticipating reading a book because it just looks so good? But then I read it. And tbh, I kinda wish I hadn't.

The synopsis sounds amazing - A&E doctor taking back control after being victimised by a stalker. The reality is unfortunately not as good as it sounds... Let me count the ways:

1. Most of the book takes place in Jenna's head, and unfortunately, she's really not a likeable character. She's whiny, she's selfish, she's just generally annoying, to the point where I questioned why the hell someone would want to stalk her.
2. The pacing of the book is not good. There's huge sections where very little happens, which really makes it hard to stay connected with the book, and it feels like you spend the whole time waiting for something to happen, but it just won't bloody happen.
3. The ending. The finale. The big reveal that you wait and wait and wait for. It was rubbish. A total disappointment, and one that in no way made reading the book worthwhile.

All in all, not one I'd recommend. There's better books out there, and life is just too short to waste on a book that goes nowhere. However, I have seen amazing reviews for the authors other books, so I've not been completely put off!

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

Jenna is a doctor in the A&E department at the local hospital, a job she is completely passionate about and devoted to. Married to successful builder and with two beautiful children, Jenna should have a great life. But Jenna has a stalker. A nasty, vindictive and cruel stalker who leaves nasty presents on her doorstep, sends chilling emails to Jenna and her employers, and slowly but surely convinces everyone close to Jenna that she is going round the twist. It is up to Jenna to prove that this isn't the case, and that she has every right to be petrified. A great read from Lauren North, who never really fails to disappoint.

4 Stars from me

Great storyline - this was one of those books where I just wanted to shout at the characters! Mainly at Jenna to be fair who seemed to make bad decision after bad decision and I just wanted to stop her 'Nooooooooo!'

The stalking element feels so real and I dare you not to have a touch of paranoia as you read this book. Her self chastisation in relation to the work/life balance was beautifully conveyed too.

The clever storyline will leave you guessing and Lauren North has more then a few surprises up her sleeve as the story unfolds.

One Step Behind is a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end .This is a story of Jenna an ER Doctor who is being stalked .At times it is scary and horrifying and Jenna's life is turned upside down and she doesn't know why or who is stalking her and the Police don't seem to be much help.This is the second book I have read by the Author and I thoriughly enjoyed it .Can't wait to read her next one .mny thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

"One Step Behind" had me fooled. I had several suspects on my list for who the stalker actually was, but I missed the mark completely. In hindsight, there were plenty of clues, but I didn't see it coming. I really enjoyed Lauren North's style of writing and the characters in this book. The plot got a bit frantic near the end, which marked it down for me as it just felt rushed. I would very much like to see more from this author.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Having very much enjoyed The Perfect Betrayal, I was very much looking forward to One Step Behind, and it doesn't disappoint. It is a gripping psychological thriller that grabs your attention from the start. The idea of a stalker in crime fiction can be a little cliched but Lauren North has taken the theme and presented in an original and fascinating way. The lead character is a hospital doctor whose life has been in turmoil for a year by the presence of the aforementioned stalker and the unpleasant gifts and emails he delivers. When he turns up injured in A&E, how will Jenna react. Lots of twists along the way make this a compulsive read.

I was so looking forward to reading this book,it sounded like the type of book I usually enjoy.However I struggled with it,for me the pace of the book was too slow,I know I am an impatient reader so other more patient people might not have a problem with the pace,but I kept wanting it to kick start. I didn't get caught up in any tension, and for me it just plodded along.I am really sorry to say it just didn't hit the spot for me.I do really hope other readers enjoy it more than I did.

I was interested in the premise of this book and it started off well, but it felt a bit too long and drawn out until the last third when it definitely picked up.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

a doctor
a stalker...

jenna didnt really know when she became aware of her stalker...but once the gifts started to arrive and that feeling of being watched it had started to get out of hand...and the gifts had really started to unnerve her..they were getting worse

the police were helpful and gave plenty of good advice and were hoping to catch him in the act...but it had been going on for nearly a year now and it was getting to her and her family...

she had caught sight of him a few times now and her nerves were beginning to show...but the police didnt have enough evidence or nearly enough information to identify him

but one fateful day...a bad accident occurs and jenna recognised her patient is her stalker....

but is this the end or is there something else going on....

brilliantly written, couldn't put it down at all..so many twists and turns...gonna be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

I read One Step Behind over a couple of days. This book is billed as a gripping psychological thriller and I found I was hooked from page one. It’s certainly pacy with a plot that gathers in intensity with each turn of the page. I though the main character Jenna was believable and add in some twists and turns and you’ve got a fantastic book that you’ll find hard to put down. Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author for the chance to review.

One Step Behind is one of those books that promises a lot, but doesn’t quite live up to its promises. It was fine, but it didn’t strike me as particularly memorable.
Our main character is Jenna, a doctor, who is clearly unsettled as she believes someone has been stalking her. She’s been receiving strange emails and calls, and odd gifts have been left on her doorstep. She has contacted the police, who’ve advised her to record any incidents. She catches odd glimpses of the person she believes is responsible, but nothing sufficient to enable the police to arrest him.
Then one day she is on duty when the man she’s seen following her is admitted into hospital after seemingly being pushed in front of a bus. He’s gravely ill, yet Jenna treats him professionally. She could have let him die, but she didn’t. However, while he’s in hospital Jenna is determined to do whatever is needed to stop this harassment.
What follows was drawn out far longer than really was necessary. It was clear that Jenna was struggling. There were obvious issues with her family and support network. And the link between her stalker and someone she knows was definitely far too transparent to ignore for so long.
Eventually things come to a head. We learn that there’s a lot of messed up people, and most of them don’t really seem to learn anything from this experience.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my honest review.

A beautifully written book! Love when I’m drawn into a story from page one! A real page turner! I started to distrust everyone surrounding the main character Jenna! But was completely wrong in guessing the culprit! Was completely blown away at the end! Didn’t see that coming moment! Loved it!

What an outstanding psychological thriller! It's gripping, utterly compelling and it carries you along at such a fast pace you are almost falling off your seat! Could not put this one down!

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the opportunity to read and review honestly.