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!

This is the first book I have read by this author but I am keen to read more. I enjoyed the style of writing and the characterisations.

It dealt with some very topical issues; adoption, abuse, relationships but not in a ‘preachy’ way. The descriptions of the school playground parents and trying to fit in were so on point!

A book which had me turning the pages quickly to discover what exactly was going on and keen to see if I was right. An excellent read.

Circle Of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan is a fantastic book with many unexpected twists and turns. The storyline was fantastic and really appealed to me. I would highly recommend Circle Of Doubt and look forward to reading more by Tracy Buchanan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my ARC.

This book was just ok for me, a 3.5. It felt very repetitive, variations on the same theme over and over again, then the reveal came and i had figured it out, but managed to not care very much. felt like formula writing, like so many of this genre, unfortunately since it is my favorite genre

5+ solid shining, glowing stars! Unputdownable and unforgettable! WOW! One of the best books I’ve read in a long time!

Tracy Buchanan certainly knows what readers want, and expertly delivers the best of the best! Once I started Circle of Doubt, I couldn’t put it down! It was so captivating that I held onto every word. I loved the story so much that I was sad when it ended.

Circle of Doubt is a wickedly wonderful story of love, hate, betrayal and deceit fueled by rumors, revenge and redemption. I was addicted to the plot, hooked by the characters, shocked by the twists, and left speechless by the explosive ending! Circle of Doubt is a thrilling, gripping, suspenseful, and nail biting intense emotional roller coaster ride that you’ll never forget!

I LOVED the inclusion of the Welcome to the Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group posts and discussion threads! I will never be able to look at any of my Facebook groups the same again! Tracy Buchanan brilliantly exposes the imperfections of the seemingly perfect residents of Forest Grove and proves how easily people can be influenced by their so called “friends” on social media. There are also anonymous thoughts interspersed throughout the book that are directed to the child, Isla. The mystery behind who is having these imaginary conversations with Isla heightens the intrigue and suggests that significant danger is creeping towards Isla and her family.

Emma, her husband Dele, and their daughter Isla have been living in Forest Grove for several months, but in a small town where everybody knows everybody else, Emma still feels like an outsider. Emma and Dele have been truthful with Isla about her being adopted, but since she was so young at the time, she has no memories of her biological parents. They are a close knit family, and even though Isla is happy and well rounded, Emma somewhat wishes that she had the luxury of being a stay at home mom. Not only do working mothers seemed to be looked down on for working in the Forest Grove community, but she loves spending time with Isla. Juggling the demands of work and family is hard!

Many residents of Forest Grove are initially appalled when Lawerence and Tatjana Belafonte and their two sons move into town because they have decided to build their monstrosity of a house in the forest area. Residents of Forest Grove are upset that part of the forest area will have to be cleared to accommodate the Belafonte’s dream home. While Emma is still struggling on the outskirts of the social circles, Tatjana smoothly and quickly fits in with the other mums effortlessly. That isn’t Emma’s only problem with Tatjana though. Tatjana stands out because of her poise, beauty, and elegance, but her strong resemblance to Isla’s birth mother is very disturbing. Tatjana’s immediate and overwhelming attention towards Isla is even more disconcerting, but Emma’s sister, Harriet, is the only person who seems to understand.

Is it possible that Tatjana is using a fake name to cover up her identity as Jade, Isla’s birth mother? Given the appearance of her perfect lifestyle and happy home life, is it possible she’s now in the process of trying to get Isla back? Worse yet, is it possible that a she knows about Emma’s secret? Emma has always known that if anyone found out about her secret that it would destroy her life and her family. The only person who genuinely understands Emma’s problems and fears is her sister, Harriet.

When knowledge of events from the past collide with the present, the results are catastrophic and none of their lives will ever be the same.

Thank you Tracy Buchanan, Lake Union Publishing, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading Circle of Doubt. My feedback is voluntary and expresses my honest opinions. The links below are to my group and page, but I also added the links to the reviews that I posted in other groups where it specifies to add links.

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Circle of Doubt is full of Red Herrings that will keep you guessing who is gaslighting Emma in the small town of Forest Grove.

Emma and her husband have an adopted daughter Isla and she is convinced that one of the Mum's on the school drop off is Isla's birth mother.

No one believes her, that no one being her husband Dele.

Strange things start happening and Emma is looking to be not so great a mum after all.

I don't want to say much more as it is better you follow the clues and see just who Emma can trust if anyone.

This is my first Tracy Buchanan book but it wont be my last. Circle of Doubt was a roller coaster read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing for a page turning read.

LOVED IT, thanks Sophie for telling me how good it was, you were right!
The only problem I am having is what to say as don’t want to give anything away really, it’s a good book to ‘go in blind’
But...what I will say is this...Emma and Dele have a near perfect life in the amazing wooded village of Forest Grove, it is as idyllic as it sounds, except for the playground Mum’s ( all nastily wonderful ) and the bitchy fest Watsapp group they run ( also nastily wonderful ), a new family arrive, they seem VERY OTT and are taking an interest, too much of an interest in Emma and her family, Emma is suspicious of them
but could her mind be playing tricks on her, again
The story is really well told and there are many faucets to it, it’s exciting, quick moving and horrifying yet keeps the dream like status of Forest Grove alive, it’s a clever tale of the past hurtling forward, manipulation and also has a nod to even baddies being redeemable
Once doubt arises, it grows..and grows
Really, really good and will definitely be reading more from this author

10/10
5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an early copy of Circle of Doubt. What an interesting plot for a book, a wild ride! I absolutely Loved this novel. The characters were so real and it kept my interest throughout the whole book. A nice twist close to the end, one that I did not see coming. Happy reading, you will NOT be disappointed.

Great book! I was hooked from the start, thank you so much for providing me a copy of this book to read. This is something I would love to purchase.

This gave me chills, I can't imagine how Emma must be feeling knowing that Tatjana could be the birth mother of their adopted daughter. The fear and uncertainty would be devastating and playing mind games with Emma. The book was thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat. Tatjana definitely did have ulterior motives and it just shows you that you never truly know someone no matter what. Emma second guessing herself had my heart breaking for her - she was put in a truly awful position.

This was an excellent read! Absolutely adored it and would highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Tracy for allowing me to read this wonderful book.

Circle of Doubt had everything I love about a mystery/thriller: a self-doubting heroine with a tragic secret, a creepy setting in the dark and stormy woods, an unlikely villain, and the perfect bombshell twists and turns I truly did not see coming!

Tracy Buchanan’s Circle of Doubt introduces us to Emma Okoro, a working mom who is struggling to fit in with the moms of their small, Stepford-esque community in English suburbia. When a new family moves into town, revealing strange connections to Emma’s adopted daughter, Isla, secrets from Emma’s past begin to surface, threatening her family and her identity as a mother.

The book started off a little rocky and took a couple of chapters for me to become interested in the plot and characters, but I’m really glad I stuck with it because things started picking up and eventually I didn’t want to put it down!

As a mom myself, I loved the central theme of motherhood in this book and how the author shed light on the internal struggles and insecurities moms deal with on top of all the external judgements and scrutiny. It really helped me relate to Emma and appreciate her journey to motherhood and protectiveness over her family.

I would have given this 5/5 stars, if not for a couple of plot holes and inconsistencies I picked up on. I also thought the single apostrophe quotations were a bit distracting (perhaps a British English grammar thing?), but that wasn’t a deal-breaker. Some parts of the conclusion also came off a little contrived, but I did enjoy the resolution nonetheless.

Circle of Doubt is definitely one of the better thrillers/mysteries I’ve read this past year! I’d highly recommend it to fans of the genre or to anyone looking for a the next exciting, unputdownable read.

Really enjoyed this book, plenty of twists and turns, had my gripped till the end. Definitely worth a read!

Intense from the beginning with someone lurking outside the home of a family and looking at their child through the window. The question is who is it?
I enjoyed how the chaptwrs were split into the different character perspectives; one being from Isla's adoptive parent Emma and one being from her birth parent who wants her back. The ending was great- no loose ends and it didn't feel rushed as sometimes thrillers can be. Solid 4 stars from me. If you enjoyed Dorothy Koomson's novel 'The Friend' you will enjoy this.

Emma, Dele, and their daughter Isla move to a small town. Emma is already struggling to fit in when a new family moves in, and the wife, Tatjana, alienates Emma even further. Isla is adopted and Emma feels that the Tatjana looks like Isla's birth mother and even scarier, seems to take a special interest in Isla while shutting Emma out. The story is primarily narrated by Emma, with chapters thrown in from an unknown sinister voice.

This book seemed pretty straightforward to me for much of it and I was wondering if that was all there was. However, the author starts throwing some interesting twists out in the 2nd half of the book and there are definitely some surprises. I was completely caught off guard by one of the twists in the latter part of the book.

I thought Emma's lack of confidence and the extreme bitchiness of the other moms got pretty old, but both of these areas improved as the book continued. I also thought that the ending tied things up just a little too neatly to seem plausible, though I appreciated the sentiment.

Overall, a decent read that mixes mystery with questions around family bonds. I think it was worth the read even though it wasn't my favorite. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan.

Emma and Dele have everything they could ask for after adopting their daughter Isla nine years before. They knew she was coming from an unsafe parentage, but now they could give her all of the love and security she would ever need.

But everything gets shaken up when a new family moves into the neighborhood, and while the mother of the family is posh, popular and well liked, Emma senses something familiar about her. Not only that, but Emma has noticed small things going wrong in her life, mix ups in communication, and even her own daughter turning against her. Is this Isla's birth mother, coming back from the past?

Overall a decent story, it was just a bit over-the-top dramatics. I struggle to think that after even a fraction of what had happened, would ever bring any of those families to share a similar space ever again. The characters all felt like campy cartoon character versions of themselves, and the villain of the story was a bit too "mustache twirly" for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. This book started out creepy and menacing. Then it switches to a normal family trying to get ready to start the day. The book alternated between the creepy, menacing chapters and the more "normal" chapters. I felt Isla sounded to grown up for only being 10. Dele was such a minor character I don't really know what to say about him.. The book was well-written and thought the "Facebook" transcripts seemed very real and typically bitchy. There were so many characters it was hard for me to keep everyone straight. Emma to me was kind of pathetic. The reveal completely surprised me. The ending/epilogue was a little to pat for me.

Tracy Buchanan has crafted an outstanding domestic thriller that relies heavily on its characters. Focussed on interpersonal relationships, ‘Circle of Doubt,’ to be published January 5, 2021, explores the potential for evil in a seemingly perfect neighbourhood. It is a richly layered and utterly immersive read.

Emma and Dele Okoru, a biracial couple, adopt a beautiful little girl and move to fictional Forest Grove to start family life in an idyllic location. This picturesque village is on the edge of a forest and the families who live there embrace nature, walk their children to school, have stay-at-home moms and are heavily involved in the community. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? That’s just on the surface. Just one look at Mums Of Forest Grove Facebook Group will confirm your doubts. Everyone looks perfect, but the snarky and petty comments left on the feed show the residents’ true colours. The Okorus have their share of skeletons in the closet, but they are united in their focus of providing their daughter Isla with the best childhood. As soon as Emma meets the other neighbours at school pick up, her insecurities about her capability of mothering Isla start to surface. These insecurities are compounded as soon as the new neighbours move in and the wife looks disturbingly similar to Isla’s birth mom.

Tatiana and Lawrence Belafonte, another biracial couple, are the dream team of Forest Grove. Everyone envies and aspires to be the Belafontes. Not only do they have a to-die-for new home, luxury vehicles, fashion-forward apparel and a big bank account, but they also seem like the perfect match. In fact, it’s Tatiana’s ‘too perfect’ persona that repels Emma and ignites her deep dive into her neighbour’s past. Tatiana’s perfection, both in-person and online, is just what struggling mothers don’t need - more strain to add to the already heavy load of community pressure.

What a deliciously wicked read! I absolutely loved this gripping thriller and devoured it in one sitting. The idea of a perfect family fascinates us even when we know, at some level, that there’s no such thing. Tracy Buchanan explores this issue as she exposes the stresses society puts on mothers to be perfect. It was made ‘next level’ fantastic with the addition of the Facebook posts and the stalker’s perspective. They added to the characterization and plotline because readers could get a glimpse of each neighbour’s true character and they give readers a feel for the vibe of the community. One particular post had me giggling; Dele was described as “living in hipster-snowflake hell.” In addition to interpersonal relationships clouded by feelings of inadequacy, Buchanan also highlights how grief affects us and what coping mechanisms we employ to allow us to walk through the trauma. How refreshing for a five star read to have no guts, gore, sex or profanity! I love Buchanan’s writing style. She has the ability to insert unexpected twists and turns into her writing, producing a binge-worthy read. This may be my first introduction to Buchanan, but I’m definitely going to read book 1 in the Forest Grove series and put her on my ‘go-to’ list.

Thank you Tracy Buchanan, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this fantastic advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Once the identify of the narration directed at Isla was revealed the story picked up. There were a lot of issues packed in one and they could have been better developed and revealed in the story. I thought that the ending was good.

I'm a big fan of this author and have read all her books. This one was good too. I was a little confused as the setting and some characters are the same from Wall of Silence, not sure if that was intentional? But it doesn't matter. The plot was tense from the start, the connection between Emma, Dele and Isla was warming, and the mystery was exciting. I did figure out a couple of the twists early on, but they were pulled off in a way that was satisfying. A good read overall.

Emma and Dele’s dreams came true nine years ago when they adopted their daughter, Isla. It felt like fate, like they were meant to find each other, and now they’re living the life they always wanted. But then one day a new family moves into Forest Grove—and Emma can’t shake the chilling feeling that the wife looks just like Isla’s birth mother. Emma tells herself that this sophisticated stranger can’t possibly be the troubled woman she remembers from the adoption. But as they get to know each other and it becomes clear that Tatjana has a special interest in Isla, her suspicions grow. When small things start to go wrong and her parenting abilities are brought into question, Emma feels undermined, turning to her sister Harriet for support. But things only spiral further when secrets from her past suddenly resurface. With rumours swirling, Emma begins to doubt herself. Could Tatjana be Isla’s birth mother? And, with everything that’s happening, is Emma the right person to be raising her daughter at all?

This is Buchanan's second book set in Forest Grove and was an aspect I was really excited about. Forest Grove is the perfect setting for a thriller; stunning from the outside but with deadly secrets lurking within its midst. Plus a returning setting means returning characters which is always a bonus.

Back to this read and Buchanan has written a secretive, twisting read that will have you hooked. I was engrossed in this very early on and in particular I enjoyed how this was written. We have our regular chapters and then chapters set in another's perspective that slowly hints at the truth, plus chapters featuring Forest Grove's Facebook page which provides the reader with an insight to the characters mindset. This read is full of twists but more than this, it is a very secretive read. The book is all about the characters having secrets and Buchanan hints at these throughout and then slowly reveals them. Some are more shocking than others but all of them have a place and all inject more excitement to the read.

I have touched on the characters already but I just love this set of characters. Buchanan has created an array of quirky characters and they all bring something to the read. They have their eccentricities but they have their secrets too and it is these secrets that will prove to be important.

I just loved reading 'Circle of Doubt', the setting is perfect, the atmosphere intense and the characters are in possession of dark secrets that will soon out themselves causing shockwaves through this idyllic, claustrophobic setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy.