I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I absolutely adored Olivia, Denny, Mary and Lauren's characters in this book. This book will grip you on the edge of your seat from the first page. It is my first book by Terry Lynn Thomas and I can already tell you I will definitely be reading more books by this author. I absolutely highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book is in stores for £8.99 (GBP).

EXCERPT: Sunday October 5th

When the alarm blared the Sunday financial recap, the woman woke with a start. She didn't care about the Dow Jones Industrial Average, nor did she care about market volatility. Fumbling, she unplugged the old-fashioned clock radio and tossed it under the bed. Her thoughts, as they often did, went to her lover. She rolled over and pressed her face into his pillow, taking in the scent of him, that strange concoction of vanilla and citrus that made her senses reel.

Rolling over on her back, she took a deep breath and cradled her belly, thinking of the baby that grew inside her. The positive pregnancy test lay on the table next to her, its vertical pink line a source of unimaginable joy. She snuggled under the duvet as the automatic coffee maker kicked into gear, filling her apartment with the aroma of the dark roast coffee her lover preferred.

She saw the card on the doormat just as she poured her first cup of coffee.

I've rented a beach house for us tonight. I'll send a key and the address by messenger. Meet you there around ten?

Leaning back against the counter, the woman closed her eyes, anticipating their rendezvous. Dear God, she craved him.

She did not know that she had less than fifteen hours to live.

ABOUT 'THE BETRAYAL': Attorney Olivia Sinclair is shocked when she receives an anonymous video showing her husband Richard sleeping with someone else. After years of handling other people’s divorces, she thought she could recognise a marriage in trouble.

She angrily throws Richard out of the home they share. But days later she’s arrested—for the murder of his mistress.

Olivia knows she’s innocent but, with all the evidence pointing at her and an obvious motive, she must find the real killer to clear her name.

She may be used to dealing with messy divorces, but this one will be her most difficult case yet. Olivia’s husband has already betrayed her—but would he set her up for murder?

MY THOUGHTS: Delicious! Tightly plotted. Fast-paced. Gripping. I didn't want to put this down. And even though I suspected who the murderer was quite early on, and for once I was right, I enjoyed the journey. Immensely.

The Betrayal has all the ingredients of a great domestic drama - the cheating husband, the big reveal at the worst possible moment, a dead body, the finger - and a great deal of evidence - pointing to the wronged wife, revenge, and duplicity. And the author whips all these into a delicious, captivating and entertaining read.

Of course, Olivia - a very strong woman - doesn't just have a cheating husband and a murder charge to deal with. She is also having issues with her daughter, who seems determined to cut her mother out of her life.

The characters are well portrayed, realistic and believable, the tension palpable.

I believe that this is the first in a series featuring Olivia. I will definitely be lining up to read the next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#TheBetrayal #NetGalley

I: @ terrylynnthomasbooks @terrylynnthomas @hqstories

T: @TLThomasBooks @HQStories

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #murdermystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR: The Betrayal and The Witness are Terry’s first foray into the world of domestic suspense, and introduce attorney Olivia Sinclair. When she’s not writing, Terry likes to spend time outdoors gardening and walking in the woods with her husband and her dogs.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to HQ, HQ Digital via Netgalley, for providing a digital ARC of The Betrayal by Terry Lynn Thomas for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

The Betrayal by Terry Lynn Thomas. HQ Digital, 2021

Olivia, a long-married and sixtyish attorney realizes her attorney husband is not at all as wonderful as he seemed not too long before police discover in her bedroom closet evidence that she murdered his lover, and charge her with murder. This book is written sparingly but well. The central plot, is supported with credible characters and details that fully engage readers. Once I started reading this book, I didn’t put it down until I finished it.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of In The Betrayal for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheBetrayal #NetGalley.

Not the most original plot but it's definitely one of the best I've read with that type story line!!! It has a good pace to it and doesn't leave you feeling like entire chapters have been added in just to flesh out the word count with no progression of the actual story. The main character is also refreshingly intelligent and the story doesn't revolve around the main character getting into danger because shes made incredibly idiotic decisions on the 1st place. I really enjoyed everything about this book to be honest. And well don't for not just going with the typical clichéd main character that we've already seen a million times!!! A really nice change and a perfect way to spend a few of these cold winter evenings.

Loved this book very fast paced and Intriguing. Kept me up all night. I am looking forward to more from this author. This was my first book by her and it won't be my last. This was a splendid read.

What an interesting set up: an attorney Olivia Sinclair deals with divorces in her job.
Until one day she receives the proof that her own husband is cheating on her. How could she never know?
Of course a big row comes up ending with Richard, the husband, being thrown out of their house.

So far so good but as Richard's girlfriend is murdered Olivia becomes the main suspect.
She knows she didn't kill his mistress but who did? And why would this person blame it on her?

A wild and thrilling ride begins for Olivia to get her life back on track.

I really enjoyed this book as Olivia is such a strong woman and I am delighted that this is only the beginning of a series!

Thanks #NetGalley #HQ, HQ Digital for an ARC of this book

This is the first book I read from this author and I’ve enjoyed it, although it’s not a page turner. the characters are interesting and the plot escalates, with an interesting twists at the end. Overall I’d recommend this book for thriller lovers.

Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

I was taken in by the prologue of this book and couldn't wait to get stuck in, sadly I was left feeling a bit disappointed.

The story seems to rely on too many coincidences to make it work.

The first half of the book felt quite strong but the second half just felt way too coincidental, implausible and unbelievable.

Sadly this justbdidnt do it for me.

Thanks to netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

I am a. huge fan of detective books and love starting a new series for detectives.
This book hooked me from the very first chapter and it was so hard to put down.
The characters were so believable and you really do end up becoming involved in the book, forming your own views of certain characters!
I love Olivia and I am looking forward to more books featuring her.

The Betrayal; Terry Lynn Thomas (273 pages) – Olivia Sinclair #1
Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic suspense
Rating: 4 stars

The Betrayal is the first book in a new series by bestselling author, Terry Lynn Thomas.
Divorce attorney, Olivia Sinclair is arrested for the murder of her husband’s mistress. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, can Olivia and find the real murderer and clear her name before time runs out.

While the plot is nothing new, woman sets out to prove her own innocence, what the author does very well is present us with a likeable, authentic and engaging main character whose motives are easy to get behind. 62-year-old, Olivia Sinclair is not your typical naïve young heroine, but rather a strong, intelligent, mother who is sympathetic and courageous. The POV is third person. The cast of secondary characters is diverse and are fleshed out enough that you can connect with their actions and motives.

The story is fast paced with events unfolding rapidly leading to pages flying by quickly. The overall length of the book is ideal with nothing feeling particularly rushed or drawn out. The plot is intricate, layered and full of twists. I thought I had it figured out several times but the author places enough red herrings and distraction to keep you guessing.

The main plot wraps up at the end and ends in a satisfying way which leaves you wanting to know more. There are several minor side plots which I hope to see resolved in the next book or future books.

The Betrayal is a fast-paced, easy to read and emotionally intense novel which will appear to a wide audience. I would recommend this.

Trigger Warning: domestic violence

Thank you to the author, Terry Lynn Thomas, publisher HQ Digital and Netgalley for a copy of this e-book.

Thank you, NetGalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read and review this.

This is a very interesting and quick read. The characters were interesting, but for me, a tad predictable.

Olivia's world turns upside down, the moment she receives an email showing her husbands infidelity. And the next thing she knows, she wanted for murder for the death of the mistress.

This story also shows the shoddy work done by the police, who don't investigate the case well enough, and with the access to the easy evidence they have, they basically treat this as an open shut case.

But at least Olivia can turn to her friends for help, with her dire need, who with the help of a PI, discover that there is more to the case than the police even realise.

The book starts off with a strong first half. The main character, Olivia, is a divorce attorney planning to retire and do some traveling with her husband. Her plans for her future disappear when she discovers her husband is cheating on her then she is framed for murder. The evidence begins to mount, and she must prove her innocence. I enjoyed the storyline and that the author portrayed the sixty-year-old plus as active and capable individuals. I felt the story line was fast paced with plot twists that made it interesting and engaging. Unfortunately, there were aspects of the book that detracted from me loving the book – how Olivia never saw any of her husband's narcissism throughout their marriage as well as her relationship with her daughter.

The Betrayal
By Terry Lynn Thomas

"What hurts the most is, when you trust someone blindly, and that person proves to you that you are blind, and the saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies" ~~ proverb

Thank you, NetGalley for this copy.

Olivia receives a video on her birthday, a video of her husband Richard cheating on her, he was seen on the video with his secretary Sandy, a young woman who is found dead a few days after this incident.
Now Olivia is charged with the murder of Sandy and Olivia tries her utmost to uncover the mystery behind the murder.

This is a fast-moving psychological thriller.
It was described as one of the most gripping psychological thrillers of the year 2020 and a start of the new suspense series.
A very fast-paced book does not exhaust the reader
I read this in one day, I'm happy as I got a new go-to author, to whose books I can go on when I want to read something good and light at the same time interesting.
I do not say this is the best of its kind, but enjoyable read though.
I give it 3.5 stars.

"True love isn't about romance. True love, the kind of love that withstands the test of time, is what you have when the romance wears away. True love is knowing your spouse has your back no matter what. it's about devotion and family, I thought I had that with Richard" -- Olivia ~The Betrayal

This story took off running from the first page. I've enjoyed reading this book, going through the suspects wondering the whole time who is the real killer.

Olivia Sinclair is a wife, mother, and a prominent divorce attorney. Upon waking on her 62nd birthday next to the love of her life, her husband, Richard, Liv thinks it's going to be a wonderful day. That is until she reads her email and sees the subject line "Your Husband." Nothing could be worse than finding out that her own husband is having an affair. She was sent a copy of the couple having sex. After Liv throws Richard out the the house, she begins to see things she's never seen before without her rose colored glasses on.

Two days later, Liv is arrested in connection to the girl on camera's murder. Her attorney/friend Stephen promised her that she will be free of any charges.

Brian, a former cop, recently lost his wife to cancer. Now he's an investigator looking to help clear Liv's name. But once Brian sees the victim's death, it reminded him of the same exact crime scene 14 years ago. It was the one case that stayed with him. Brian works with Liv and Stephen in clearing her name while also trying to find the real killer at large.

You never know when someone just might crack up on you.

A good read.

I’ve been reading more Women’s Fiction lately as my own writing takes that turn, and was intrigued by the premise of this psychological thriller featuring a divorce attorney in her 60s who’s faced with escalating crises. Olivia Sinclair wakes up happy on her birthday, after making love with her handsome, “perfect” husband Richard, also an attorney. Then she immediately smacks into shocking proof that Richard is a serial philanderer who’s been having affairs with young women for their entire marriage. When his latest young lover is found murdered, Olivia is arrested and must find the truth to free herself.
The strength of the novel is, first, in the rendering of Olivia’s emotional devastation as she realizes that everything she built her life around for decades of marriage was a deception. Second is the urgent pacing that pulled me along to read the next development in the setup of Olivia to take a big fall. I feel that a lot of women will relate to the exploration of emotional betrayal, and to the feeling of powerlessness of becoming a cog in an impersonal system of “justice.”
Where the novel fell down for me was in too many improbabilities, especially regarding Olivia’s naïve reactions to Richard and to the legal system. She is a successful attorney who is expert in sussing out infidelities in other marriages, but hasn’t a clue about her own husband. And when she’s arrested, she plays a helpless victim for too long, and doesn’t seem to understand her own legal rights. Those issues and some other plot holes left me feeling that perhaps a stronger editorial hand could have been helpful here.

Terry Lynn Thomas' The Betrayal is a well-written domestic thriller and the perfect introduction to the strong female protagonist Olivia Sinclair.

Olivia Sinclair is a respected attorney, looking forward to retirement and more time with her husband, Richard. However, her idyllic life is shattered when she receives a video of her husband sleeping with another woman, through an anonymous email. Shortly after, she is arrested for the murder of her husband's mistress.

Olivia must prove her innocence, but with the evidence stacked against her, it looks almost impossible to clear her name. She must quickly find the real murderer if she wants to secure her freedom.

I found this to be a very enjoyable read. There were many plot twists and additional storylines to keep the reader engaged throughout the book. The characters were likeable and intriguing, especially Olivia Sinclair. Olivia is a strong, middle-aged female protagonist who manages to come through the most difficult season of her life more confident and self-aware. It is beautiful to witness her transformation. I found the ending was not obvious to the reader until near the end of the book. I did find that the resolution was not as believable, as it could have been. Overall, I recommend the book as domestic thriller that will keep most readers engaged and guessing until the end and I am looking forward to reading the future endeavours of Olivia Sinclair.

I would like to thank NetGalley and HQ Digital for my copy of this book.

A well written, engaging, fast paced thriller.

From the moment I picked this book up I was totally hooked. The writing style is fluid and engaging and has such a natural tone and rhythm that it just lends itself to the eye (if that is a thing?).

The characters are brilliantly fleshed out, from their mannerisms right through to the way they interact with each other - there’s a real gravity to them. Each character feels like they could be a real person and each are very relatable.

Plot-wise it’s a very intriguing ‘set-up’. If I were to be hyper critical I’d argue that a lot of the mysteries in this book were resolved through pure luck rather than actual police work. In fact the police were quite behind in the entire investigation!

I’d like to say I figured it out right from the start but I’d be lying. There are a few viable options throughout the book but once you know who the real culprit is you’ll wonder why you didn’t see it straight away!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and there’s no denying that it was entertaining and 100% engaging. Because it was discharged an easy and compelling read I found it quite tricky to put down but luckily for me I have book 2! So you know where I’ll be if you need me 😉

Thank to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fascinating book. The story was gripping from the start. It had many twists and turns until it reached its conclusion. I did , however, notice several errors in the book namely where words were typed together as if they were a single word and also where single words were separated by a space (such as herself typed as he rself). I highly recommend this book to other mystery readers.

This one just wasn’t grabbing me unfortunately. I wasn’t that interested in the characters or harbouring much investment for them which is where I think the problem stemmed for me as the actual chain of events was thrilling. I only wish it had piqued my interest a little more. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this arc to review.