An interesting read with many twists and turns. A little slow at times but intriguing plot although I found the main character somewhat irritating but also rather a sad person which all comes to the fore at the end. Keeps the reader gripped as one tries to work out all the missing pieces in the underlying plot. Well written, at times, chilling book set in the isolation of the Norfolk fens.

The Imposter has an intruiging premise that initially made for a tense, fast-paced and gripping plot. There were several edge-of-your-seat moments, full of suspense and tension. I figured out very early on what the main plot would involve but I was very shocked by the twist at the end.

Unfortunately, Chloe is an immensely irritating character. She is an unreliable narrator and not a very nice person. I found it hard to empathise with her which made the last half of the book a bit of a chore. Whilst I enjoyed the ending of the novel and found it surprising, I also felt there was a lot of potential within it and to reduce it to a few short pages was disappointing. That being said, if it was expanded into another book, I wouldn't read it as Chloe was so irritating.

Perhaps worth a read if you enjoy psychological suspense novels but not the best of the genre.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan, Mantle and NetGalley for the ARC.

Anna Wharton has created a sympathetic character in Chloe. Unappreciated at work and often mistaken by Nan for her dead daughter, she feels alone, bothered even by the apparently well-intentioned concerns of her friend Hollie. The premise is chilling and there’s a real sense of creeping dread as the story unfurls, helped along by the desolate Fen setting.
Chloe really doesn’t help herself sometimes but I think that makes her realistic – it’s a short step from just about hanging on to completely losing all perspective or sticking your head in the sand. Angie’s unresolved disappearance inevitably set my mind running off to several what-if scenarios. Is she still alive? Who was responsible for her disappearance? What happened to Stella? Just who is telling the biggest pack of lies?
I guessed one part of the ending but not the slap around the face of the big reveal. Very well done.

Thanks to Netgalley for a preview of this book. It was a great read, I sympathised so much with Chloe and her nans battle with Alzheimer's. The book had plenty of twists and turns and the ending was really good. I'd definitely recommend this book.

What an incredible story! A gripping tale of mystery, intrigue, heartache and a longing to belong. The twists and turns along the way really do keep the reader engaged and guessing right to the final page. Love it!

An interesting premise with a plot that, at times, kept me gripped. You've got the classic bones of a good psychological suspense story: so many tense, chilling moments throughout and an unreliable narrator. The ending took me by surprise, but in a very good way. If you love psychological suspense/thrillers, you will really enjoy this. I want to read more about Chloe's life and exploits after reading this!

At times I found it hard to sympathise with the main character, which in turn made it occasionally an uncomfortable read - hence the average score (I think there are ways that we could be more convinced by Chloe's actions and viewpoints and ways to up the ante in the narrative) - but it added to the unsettling nature of it. I think this story has a huge amount of potential and I'm sure by the time it fully goes through the production process it's going to be a brilliant read.

At first I felt I couldn’t quite get into the story, it felt a little long and drawn out, but am I glad I stuck with it!

A child goes missing at a park, the parents never give up hope, giving a newspaper interview year after year, trying to spark interest in the case. Chloe works in the newspaper archives and her interest is sparked by the couple who never give up. When Chloe's life begins to fall apart, she sees an advert to rent a room in the couples house; she sees this as a sign, but is Chloe in danger, and what did happen to their daughter?

I was totally immersed in Chloe's journey, I stayed up late because I needed to reach the end and it was worth it! The ending is not what I expected, it took me by surprise (in a good way). Really recommend The Imposter.

I know it's still summer, but The Imposter is one of my favourite reads of the year so far. WHAT. A. BOOK. I was hooked from the very beginning, but also had to pace myself - it was the kind of novel I didn't just want to devour in one sitting.

Newspaper archivist Chloe's life isn't going as planned. Her grandmother's dementia has worsened, so much so that she no longer remembers Chloe. Their house is about to be sold. She's at risk of losing her job. And while she struggles, her best friend Hollie is living a seemingly perfect life of houses and holidays with her husband.

So when Chloe comes across cuttings for a decades-old local story, she can't help but feel drawn to it. In 1979, 4-year-old Angela Kyle went missing, and was never found. The Kyles still live in hope that one day their daughter will return home, even though the police closed the investigation years ago.

Chloe wants to help. And soon she finds herself way too involved in the story.

This may be a fantastic thriller, but it's also warm and heartfelt. Even though it has some great surprises, this book doesn't rely on shock twists - it simply doesn't need to. Instead, there are realistic characters and a tense, harrowing story. It's addictive from the very beginning and and keeps you guessing throughout - a unique and original novel that pulled me in from page one. (I loved the ending!)

This is a great book, full of mystery, intrigue and times - sadness.

Chloe is living with her Nan who is battling Dementia when she becomes absorbed into the case of a missing 4-year-old girl - Angie.
Mystery has always surrounded her disappearance and her case remains unsolved.

This book has an epic twist at the end - one I didn't predict....extremeley well written and I look forward to reading more of Anna Wharton's work.

When a book makes your skin crawl and you hold your breath you know it is going to be a good one. I loved the sound of this thriller and couldn't wait to start reading it. This story is about Chloe and how as she is working her job as a journalist she uncovers a story from back in the past about a little girl going missing and that the police could never find out what happened to her. Chloe decides to investigate into it. Chloe also has her nan that has Alzheimer so we see her heartbreaking decline and I really did feel for Chloe as it is very sad to see when a person has this very cruel disease. On the hunt for clues to find the missing girl Chloe unearths alot more than she could ever imagine and manages to wind her way into the lives of the missing girls parents. Who is telling the truth and who is lying? Will there be skeletons in the Chloe's closet too? It was a unique story, one I have never read before with such anticipation as I never truly knew what would become whilst turning the page. Your in for a real treat with this debut novel. Will be looking out for this author again.

Thanks to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Anna Wharton for my ARC. Wow! What a twisty-turny ride this book was. For a while there I was thinking, mmm, okay, but a bit on the slow side, but this was mainly because I had the whole story upside down, or maybe I should say back to front.

Chloe is an ordinary girl, who works as a newspaper archivist, the perfect job for her as it turns out. (Not that she keeps it, but talking about that would be letting the cat out of the bag.) Chloe's Nan is suffering from dementia, and she is not finding it easy to come to terms with this. Nan does not recognise Chloe, and often asks her about Stella, her daughter. Chloe is resisting having her Nan put into a care home, but this inevitably comes to pass.

One day, while going through her beloved archives, Chloe comes across a story about a little girl, Angela Kyle, who disappeared when she was 4 years old. Her father Patrick took her to the park, and that was the last anyone saw her. Patrick and Maureen, Angela's mother, have never given up hope or stop searching for her. Chloe, intrigued by this story, starts a collection of all the newspaper cuttings pertaining to it, and decides to delve a bit further. Along the way, she finds that the Kyles are looking for a lodger, and decides, on a whim, to apply. From there on the story starts to spool out into daily living at the Kyles home, and Maureen's growing convictions about her new lodger. So, no more said, lest I give the game away.

I thought many things along the way in this book, but the ending came out of the blue. I didn't expect it at all. There was an overall pall of dread regarding the missing Angie (that's probably just me, I can't stand anything with cruelty to children or animals and always expect the worst). What awful thing had befallen her? Where was she? Was she alive? Living close by? Perhaps even known to the Kyles? And how safe is Chloe?

Grab a copy of The Imposter and sit back to enjoy a rather thrilling read. Atmospheric and compelling, it has one of my favourite endings in a book, a very clever and unexpected twist to the tale. It has certainly made me me think about the possibilities.

A really good novel which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. I especially enjoyed the realist nature of this book - no even seemed improbably or impossible.

As well as the plot, I also liked the main character, Chloe; she was like a ‘normal’ person with personality, flaws and personal complexity.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a great solid read by an author I have not read before. With no front cover artwork yet I didn't know what to expect. However I was not disappointed! This is a great read, and the ending?! What can I say other than read it now!

Wow! That was a really good thriller and I have really enjoyed reading it. I liked the fact that a lot of the plot is quite realistic - no insane turn of events, no unplausible pllt twist... It was all neat and somehow reasonably realistic, while also... unexpected? The main character, Chloe, is the one who really makes this a great thriller - she had depth, personality, flaws, complexity.... The last chapter - no spoiler - made me wish there was another book about this character because this character's truth was just brilliant.

The Imposter

I have quite a few Netgalley books awaiting review but as soon as The Imposer was approved I started reading! That synopsis sounds insane!

After putting her last remaining family member in a care home Chloes a bit lost. All alone and struggling she finds an old newspaper article about a missing girl from the 80s..

I loved this story! Emotions were all over the place, the writing is so intense I could feel myself in the scenes. Just absolutely wonderful storytelling but also super creepy! I was getting so many red flags and couldn’t wait to see how this ended. Manipulation is a strong theme throughout the book and although I worked out the plot early on it was incredible to see Anna’s words bring the story to life and fill it out.

The ending! Oh man! The last 30% of the book races towards the end and I loved it! Explosive! This is a strong, creepy thriller and I order it ASAP! 4/5.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

I knew from the second I hit download I was going to adore this book. I got that feeling where I just wanted to drop everything and devour it in one sitting. The million dollar question though is ‘did it live up to my expectations?’ and my answer is ‘heck, yeh!’. This book has everything I want in a story; tension, mystery, easy to follow plots and characters I can connect with. ‘The Imposter’ delivered all that... and more!

‘Nan’ was a really important character to me. Having watched someone close deteriorate in the same way, I really felt for Chloe. I just wanted to pick them both up and pop them in my pocket to protect them.

I was forever second-guessing myself throughout with where it was all going to lead to and the finale was even better than I expected. It was fabulous. I urge EVERYONE to read this stunner of a book.

A terrific read so well written characters that come alive .Sat down to read a few pages got drawn in & read late into the night.I will be highly recommending this book& author.#netgalley#panmacmillan,

#TheImposter #NetGalley
Pacey and gripping.
The lives of others have always fascinated newspaper archivist Chloe. And when she comes across a cutting of a little girl who went missing twenty-five years ago, she is moved by the unwavering devotion of the child’s parents and their belief that their daughter will one day return.Meanwhile, news that her beloved Nan, the only family she has left, must move into a nursing home, leaves Chloe distraught and soon to be homeless. So when the missing girl’s parents advertise for a lodger, Chloe sees this as a sign – a new home and the perfect opportunity to investigate the case.
This book was a fun thriller I had finished in a day. Its characters were really meticulously created.
Narration of the story is good but I personally found it show towards the end. Overall it's a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Mantle for giving me an advance copy.

This was a great novel that literally took my breath away. The characters were realistic and well depicted. Highly recommended!