Cover Image: The Pupil

The Pupil

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Member Reviews

Mel and Natasha, two very different people at very different stages in their lifes.

Mel, a single mother of a hormonal teenage boy, a successful Barrister working out of a top London Firm.

Natasha, a young woman who lives beyond her means, shop lifts for fun, and strings her boyfriend along whilst carrying on affairs as her alter ego Lola.

Natasha has just become Mels trainee, on her second six months of training, and is hoping to be selected for a full time job, but can she curb her self destructive personality.

Meanwhile Mel is on a downward spiral, she’s struggling at work, making mistakes in court, and Natasha’s watching, not getting on with her son, and Natasha notices.

Using her alter ego, Lola, Natasha starts to flirt on line with Mels son, and at every opportunity undermines her at work.

And so it starts, a twisting turning plot of a psychological thriller.

I have to admit for the first third of the book I couldn’t make up my mind who to sympathise, or empathise with, which was really clever writing; because when the plot starts to unfold I was torn between which of the two characters I was rooting for, even though it was fairly obvious who was the good guy, and who was the victim.

I really enjoyed this book. It turned me upside down and inside out with my conscience being pulled like a tug of war rope. I love books that make me reach for google to research something. This was was different. It had me looking into my own mind. Clever, very clever.

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hanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Never expected this legal drama to be as good as what it was. Loved the characters and the storyline. Would recommend.

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The synopsis sounded promising but this just moved too slow for me. Picked up few times but just couldn’t stick with it!

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I enjoyed this book, it’s well written and a good plot. The main characters were a bit unlikeable and it was difficult to understand why Natasha so disliked Mel. Lots of issues discussed throughout the book. Thanks for letting me review it.

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I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn’t my favorite psychological thriller of late, but it was perfectly serviceable and did the job. The epitome of a three star thriller

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The description sounded good but I found this book very slow and I couldn't get into it at all so I gave up on it. Sorry, this one isn't for me

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Mel is a well known barrister, single mum to Jacob, daughter of a well known actress and the ‘other woman’ for Paul. During the barrister process she is given a ‘pupil’ who follows her around learning but this pupil, Natasha, is something else.
Natasha is simply brilliant and will stop at nothing to be the best. Even if it means exposing secrets, lying, cheating and taking over everything that Mel does.
This was an enjoyable book and I enjoyed the characters and found it quite fast paced and engaging. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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Thanks to Netgalley for a preview of this book. The book was very hard to get into and didn't ever really get going. I found the plot dull and characters unlikeable so it made it hard to finish the book, The ending was also really unsatisfying

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Mel has been a lawyer for 20 years. She is successful, well-regarded by her colleagues and her clients are happy with her. But her private life is far from perfect.
When Mel is allocated a trainee lawyer; the young, beautiful, and clever Natasha, Mel's life is about to change.
Natasha is used to getting what she wants, and it quickly turns out that what she wants is to ruin Mel's life.

I was intrigued by the blurb, and therefore excited when my ARC was approved.
The story presents us with both Natasha's and Mel's points of view, but even though a dual perspective is my favorite kind of narration, this book was a huge disappointment.
Sometimes it takes time for a story to grip you, but in this case, it didn't happen at all. I kept waiting for the story to get going, but there was no suspense whatsoever.
Natasha's campaign against Mel seemed not to have been supported by any motive, and her actions were random and rather opportunistic.
The ending was just as bland as the rest of the story.
I rarely give ratings of 1 star, so for a book to warrant such a low rating, it must really not be to my liking.
However, I saw some good reviews of this book, so by all means check it out yourself.

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A very good legal drama/ thriller by Ros Carne.
Mel is a barrister who has been practising for over twenty years. When she is assigned Natasha as her new pupil, she sees it as a real inconvenience. She has nothing against Natasha, but does not want want the responsibility of training a pupil. However, it soon becomes personal when she discovers that Natasha is not what she seems. Everyone in chambers thinks that Natasha is perfect and will be a good fit to become a tenant in chambers, but Mel knows otherwise. Natasha is anything but perfect.
Is Mel right about Natasha and everyone else wrong? Is Mel paranoid because Natasha is younger and a good barrister? Will Natasha be able to prove herself? Will Mel be able to gather evidence against Natasha? Will the truth be revealed as to whether it is Natasha or Mel who is in the wrong?
A great and easy read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This is my first book by Ros Carne and is it a brilliant suspenseful novel. Mel, is a lawyer and at her chambers, she is assigned a trainee lawyer, Natasha. Natasha is not she seems and is intent on bringing Mel and her teenage son, down. She causes a lot of trouble for Mel and it spills over into her job. The reasons are not clear why Natasha is doing this, but she seriously is unhinged. A good read .

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This was a decent enough read, however I was left with some unanswered questions when I finished it.
The legal aspect of this book and the understanding of Type 1 Diabetes were both well developed.
I felt that at times the book jumped around which made it difficult to follow,
That being said, I still enjoyed it and would read more from this author in future.

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This was a excellent novel, combining the elements of drama and thriller. The characters were depicted in a believable manner, and the story kept me on my toes. Highly recommended.

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#ThePupil #NetGalley
A good read.
Mel has practised law for twenty years. She is well-regarded by her peers. Her clients are happy. But behind the scenes her life is disordered. Her son grows increasingly distant from her. The married man she is sleeping with fails to give her what she needs.
When a trainee lawyer is allocated to Mel it is poor timing. The last thing she wants is a pupil watching her every move. And Natasha does watch. She sees each detail – and every mistake. Mel cannot shake the feeling that Natasha isn’t just learning the job. She is learning Mel.
Natasha is good at getting what she wants, and now Mel has the power to give her all she desires.
Plot is simple and so is the narration. It's only slow part is it's ending. Overall it's a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me an advance copy.

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I really enjoyed this book. It kept me intruged throughout. Some parts made me feel really uncomfortable but I think that was the authors goal. Reay good. For fans of Apple Tree Yard and Blood Orange x

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