Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for my reviews. I enjoyed reading Wall of Silence and this was also a good read. There are many twists and turns throughout the book. It was very clever how the writer steered you in one direction and it was a completely different direction.

The second novel from Tracy Buchanan set in the fictional Forest Grove. This time the storyline is about adoption. Dele and Emma move with their ten year old daughter Isla to Forest Grove from London for a safer lifestyle but Emma has a hard time settling in and making friends with the other mothers at the local school. When another couple Lawrence and Tatjana move into the village strange things begin to happen to Emma. Also Emma notices that Tatjana looks like Islas birth mother Jade which doesn’t help her feelings of inadequacy. As in the first book the local Facebook group is quick to gossip about Emma and tension builds between the main characters with some very surprising turns along the way. There were some situations throughout that I found hard to believe but on balance I did enjoy the book and it did keep me guessing to the end.

The book was good, but at the same time, it was the same rehashed plot. A small happy family with Emma, Dele and daughter Isla, then new neighbors moved in. The only issue was the woman looked like her adopted daughter’s mother. This raised Emma’s suspicions, especially when strange things too started happening. Sounded familiar?

I went into this book with low expectations as I knew author Tracy Buchanan’s books could go either way for me. The story was exciting in the beginning, then slowly dragged on. I never understood why the husbands of the main characters never believe them when they present their fears. Everything is shoved as paranoia with some past mental illness quoted. Grow up. There is something known as a woman’s instincts.

Here too, I wanted to whack Dele when he refused to believe his wife even when she presented him with proof. I liked Emma in places when she became proactive with the support of her sister.

Facebook groups and messages were highlighted as there were many catty and bitchy neighbors of the two-legged kind who wrote awful things about Emma based on rumors. I knew these things existed as I had been on the other end of the bias. Those felt realistic.

The story had the POV of a silent hidden spectator who spoke about Isla’s past before she was adopted, and it was absolute fun to try to guess that person. As the story progressed, there were a couple of twists that were different than the other thrillers. That made the book interesting.

Overall, I would say it was a good book.

Last year, with everything else going on, my reading suffered. I struggled to get into a lot of the books I picked up, even by authors I love and genres that had previously drawn me in left me cold. It was, then, with some trepidation that I started Circle of Doubt, even though I had really enjoyed my last Tracy Buchanan book, Wall of Silence.

Turns out I needn’t have worried. In fact, Tracy Buchanan may just be my lucky charm because, for the first time in forever (sorry for those now signing songs from Frozen), I found myself really enjoying what I was reading – so much so, I basically didn’t put it down until I had finished it. I really couldn’t have asked for a better way to end 2020 (and hopefully start 2021!).

Why did I like it so much? The story mainly, which is actually liked to one of my biggest fears as an adoptive parent, that somehow I will be challenged in my role as a parent. It’s a fear many adoptive parents have and, while the tension is ramped up here to a point I don’t think I’d ever face, there is a realism to it that suggests Buchanan did her research, which I appreciate as a reader.

I also liked the characters, especially Emma (and not just because of her name 😄). She is just the right side of stressed and anxious. The school moms are a bit more stereotypical but I have to say that – having moved to a new area myself – still believable. The only slight downside I’d Dele who I couldn’t get a handle on and I didn’t like how he didn’t side with Emma from the start. That, though, is a slight niggle in what is a great book and one I would highly recommend.

Circle of Doubt is the first book I have read by Tracy Buchanan and she had me glued to my Kindle with all the tension and twists and turns in Forest Grove. As soon as I realised there was another book which was set in the same place (Wall of Silence), I had to buy it as from the first chapter of this book I was fully engrossed and made every excuse to sit and read all day. Forest Grove is home to a bitchy community with plenty of animosity and backstabbing and where rumours spread like wildfire. This made for such a fun read with plenty of drama and unpredictability.

Emma, Dele and their adopted ten-year-old daughter Isla are on surface the perfect little family. But the arrival of a new family in Forest Grove sends Emma’s suspicions into overdrive. There is just something about Tatjana Belafonte that unsettles Emma. From the way she looks just like Isla’s birth mother to the uncomfortable pace she seems to grow attached to Isla at, Emma simply cannot trust her and does her best to find out just who Tatjana really is.

Along the way, Emma’s obsession sees her doubting herself and as Tatjana grows ever-present in her life, cracks soon begin to form within Emma’s perfect little family. I loved the intrigue behind many of the characters in this book. From the main characters to the mean girl vibes the school mums gave off, there were so many people I had my doubts about and couldn’t trust and this contributed perfectly to the unease throughout. I’d love to see Tracy Buchanan explore more of these characters in future books as there were hints at their lives and personalities during this book but there is obviously room for much more development in future books I hope.

Circle of Doubt is definitely a book much better to be read than discussed in a review, as its fast pace means there is too much to spoil by talking about it and the book is really worth reading for yourself. I will say that the way Emma narrates her side of the story is so believable that I felt like I had it all figured out very early on but the story became more suspenseful with every chapter and later on in the book I was second guessing myself and enjoying every little revelation because for the most part I didn’t see them coming.

I obsessed over this book and raced through it, only stopping for the odd what just happened break to take it all in. It was truly gripping and I am definitely looking forward to going back and reading the first book so I can continue my fix of Forest Grove.

Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan is a thriller with a couple of shocking twists. Emma and Dele adopted their daughter Isla nine years ago. Everything was great until they moved to Forest Grove and strange things started happening. Is Isla's birth mother their new neighbor? Emma starts questioning everything, even herself. This book was well-written, but I guessed the twists pretty early on. Also, I found some of the talk about Isla to be rather creepy and over-the-top at times. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a good read with a few shocks in the plot. I didn’t warm to any of the characters. I don’t know if the author did this deliberately or not. I also feel that it was predictable in a few places.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

I enjoyed this twisty book and want to thank Amazon and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review it. Emma and Dele move into the idealic village with their adoptive daughter Isla whe they meet their neighbour who happens to look very like Isa's birth mother. Is Emma paranoid or is it true. Sub plots are very clever throughout the book and I found I enjoyed it. The book was a very good follow on from Wall of Silence.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I love this authors books and read her last one in lockdown which was set in the same place as this one.

I raced through this, its intriguing and unpredictable. I am adopted so i could relate to elements of the plot. A exploration of what makes a good parent and who gets to make that call?

Great mix of characters though who can be trusted?

Additive reading and compelling twists and turns. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend.

Published 5th January

Having loved Wall of Silence, Tracy Buchanan's book set in the town of Forest Grove, I was really looking forward to reading Circle of Doubt, especially when I found out it would be the second book set in the fictional town. Many thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Circle of Doubt centers on interracial couple, Dele and Emma Okuru, and their adopted daughter, Isla. They live in the town of Forest Grove, having moved there seven months ago. Working full time, Emma feels out of place next to all the other stay-at-home school "mums" in the tight knit community.

When the new Belafont family moves to town everyone is in awe. Tatjana and Lawrence (another interracial couple) are wealthy and glamorous. When Emma first meets Tatjana, she's relieved and overjoyed that Tatjana seems to want to be her friend. Though she does find it a little odd how much attention she gives Emma's daughter Isla.

Then things start to fall apart for Emma. She forgets about permission slips. She screws up at work. Tatjana starts giving her the cold shoulder, though she still spends a lot of time with Isla. So Emma begins to wonder... is Tatjana's resemblance to Isla's birth mother, Jade, more than just a resemblance? If she is Jade, does she know about Emma's past? If she does, Emma will surely lose Isla for good.

I'll be honest. I didn't enjoy this book as much as Wall of Silence. The plot and characters seemed similar to so many other books. When I read something in this genre, I usually like it to be different or new or fresh in some way, because there's just too many psychological thrillers out there and not enough time to read them all unfortunately. I also just did not like the character of Emma. All she seemed to do was whine all the time!

I did like the short Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group chapters. I've seen this kinda thing in a few other books. I think it adds a lot in terms of backstory and character development. I also appreciated the fact that both couples were in interracial marriages. It shows real life to an extent.

I would rate this book 2.5 - 3 stars. This one just wasn't for me. I would read another book from Tracy Buchanan. I would recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers and suspense.

When Emma and Dele and their daughter Isla move to bucolic Forest Grove, they plan to have a peaceful life in the country away from London. However Emma, shy by nature and haunted by her sister’s death, finds it difficult to make friends and is intimidated by the cliquey mothers she meets at Isla’s school. Enter Tatjana Belafonte. Tall, gorgeous, confidant, she’s a fashion designer and a former model. She and her architect husband Lawrence are building a mega mansion in Forest Grove. Everyone wants to be her friend but Tatjana singles Emma out.
Emma and Isla. Especially Isla.

This becomes a problem for Emma. Isla is adopted and Emma is convinced Tatjana is really Jade, the birth mother. She retreats more into herself, afraid to share her worries even with Dele. As her obsession grows, she looks everywhere for proof. When she discovers the truth, it’s almost too late.

What a thriller! Circle of Doubt is full of suspense and surprises! The added narration by the Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group is especially entertaining. This is a quick, exciting read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Tracy Buchanan for this ARC.

This is a story about mistaken identities and mistaken suspicions. The protagonist suspects that her adopted daughter's birth mother has moved into town with the purpose of gaining her child's affections and loyalty. The reader is also led to believe this through the use of journal entries, ostensibly written by the birth mother. The story takes a darker turn when the true identity of the writer is revealed to the reader but not the protagonist, and from there on I thought it felt like a long and torturous journey waiting for the protagonist to find out what I already knew.

Subplots involved feeling unwelcome in a community of self-righteous stay-at-home moms, a past hidden trauma that isn't revealed until the very end of the book and looming mental breakdowns by several of the characters.

It was well-written with good character development, just not one of my favorite stories.

Emma and dele live a happy family life in Forest Grove with their adopted daughter Isla. Emma is a busy working mum and sometimes can't believe her luck of having Isla in their life.
One morning there window is unexpectedly smashed by a brick. Shocked, they must put it down to random thugs. However Emmà becomes increasingly nervous after a new, apparently affluent family, move into the village. Tatjana, is a stay at home mum, but appears to be taking an unusual interest in Isla. Emma's concerns raise as she becomes increasingly concerned that Tatiana is in fact Jade, Isla s birth mother.

This book has many twists and turns and was an extremely easy read. Had me drawn in with twists along the way.

Highly recommend.

In Circle of Doubt we return to Forest Grove where we meet new family Dele and Emma Okuru and their adopted daughter Isla.
Emma is a working mother, frowned upon by long standing Forest Grove residents and has struggled to settle in.
We also meet another new family to the area, glamorous Tatjana and Lawrence Belafont, who are welcomed by everyone.
Emma begins to feel as if everything she does is wrong and everyone hates her. Is this all in her head or is someone behind the things that keep happening.
Why is Tatjana so taken by Isla? What secrets is Emma hiding? Who is out to expose them?
Told from Emma’s perspective as things go wrong and her family seems to be falling apart and from a mysterious other who we soon discover is behind the things that are happening.
Also interjected with social media posts from residents of the Grove as they speculate on the things happening in their perfect village..
The tension between the characters, the fickle villagers and the development within the story is well paced, full of suspense and intrigue as the story reaches its conclusions and secrets are revealed..

This book did not resonate with me at all. It is rife with red herrings and secrets revealed too late in the story to be useful. Hints are dropped throughout the book, something that became quite annoying.. The book looked like it would be a good read, but for me, it was not.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher and author for providing me the ARC. This review is based on my honest opinion only.

Emma and her husband Dele moved to the Forest Grove with their adopted daughter, Isla. Emma is white and Dele is Black and they experienced a sort of racism when they moved into their house, starting with someone smashing their house window.. Then another rich family, Tatjana and Lawrence move into Forest Grove as well and Emma couldn't help but notice how similar Tatjana looks to Isla's biological mother, Jade. Then someone starts spreading vicious rumor about Emma and the whole mother's club turn against Emma--and one of them who seems to be Isla's biological parents would do anything to get Isla back by destroying Emma.

At first, the story sounded interesting. The writing was good and engaging. However, this was not a fast paced thriller as you would expect and also a bit predictable as who this mysterious person, who is targeting Emma could be. The ending was good though nothing new about the ending.

Overall, it was an OK thriller--worth four stars!

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Circle Of Doubt’ by Tracy Buchanan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Emma and Dele live in Forest Grove with ten-year-old adopted daughter Isla. When Tatjana and Laurence move into the new house nearby Emma’s surprised at how Tatjana resembles Isla. The more she thinks about it the more convinced she becomes that Tatjana is in fact her daughter’s birth mother, especially as the woman seems obsessed with watching every move she makes. When small things start going wrong Emma doubts her ability to be a good mother and worries that a secret she’s kept for years, not even telling Dele, could result in Isla being taken away from her.

‘Circle Of Doubt’ is an engaging novel and the thoughtless comments made on the Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group added to the story, but I found it a bit slow to get going and struggled to get involved until halfway through. The plot was different, the characters interesting and despite wanting to like Emma I just wanted her yell at her to have faith in herself. Although not the best novel I’ve come across it was okay and worth reading.

3.5
This really would have been a 4 star read had the writing not really irritated me at the beginning. Maybe this is just my reading quirk but I really loathe the info dumps that you now tend to get at the beginning of these kinds of domestic noir thrillers. I don't need this whole scene-setting, info-dumpy, clumsy way of introducing characters and their backstory. I didn't need to know what Emma did for a job so early on, etc.
There were a couple of clangers in the novel, in my opinion. Why would the parents put an 18-month-old in a cot when they first adopted her? They'd surely buy a toddler bed. Also, Isla was apparently adopted at 18 months, but then that later became two years old. There was a scene where Isla was talking with her mouth full and this was described, for Emma to then say "don't eat with your mouth full." I presume this is a mistake?
And, to end the negatives, why, in these domestic noir thrillers, do people call each other darling all the damn time? I loathe the word. I never hear it in real life, it makes me cringe.
And for the positives ... I got into the novel after a few chapters. I liked the undercurrent of Emma having previously done something terrible, and was fairly surprised when that event was revealed (although I didn't like Harriet's inclusion **no spoilers**)
The Facebook exchanges felt true to life of a small, isolated village with parents all competing for the popular crown at the school gates.
Overall, I liked the suspense and the plot was an interesting one. I will seek out more by this author.
I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The second of Tracy Buchanan’s book set in the small fictional town of Forest Grove.
I must admit I didn’t click at first that it was set in the same town but I sensed it had the same feel about it. It’s definitely not a book that centres on the characters of the town, it’s solely on the main characters in the book. But she sets up the closed, clicky feel of some small communities very well.

Like the author’s previous novel set in Forest Grove, it did take me quite a while to get into it but once I did, I found it very engrossing and rollicked along to a very satisfying conclusion.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Circle of doubt

One word for Circle of Doubt, one word...Fantastic!
Family thriller but done is a totally new way. I’m obsessed with Circle of Doubt!

Was a fan of duel chapters of mother and mother until around halfway point then it starts giving too much of what’s coming up away.

Great twist, didn’t see coming and left me reeling!