I have loved everything about this one. This is well-written and a book that I have been completely unwilling to put down. I am a huge fan of this author and cannot wait for more.

Not one of my favourite Nicci books
I did read it to the end
It did have twists and turns in it
And I didn’t guess the ending
Thanks NetGalley

The Unheard has loads about it to love! In this well-paced, compelling thriller Tess, the protagonist, has a three-year-old daughter, Poppy who spends a weekend with her dad, Jason. Poppy becomes unsettled and angry and she draws a picture of a person falling from a tower. Tess believes that Poppy has seen or heard something terrible happen and the story follows Tess as she tries to uncover what has occurred when nobody will take her worries seriously. With stacks of twists that kept me riveted, this tale had me burning the midnight oil. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Simon & Schuster UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Another great read by this husband and wife team! I always find their books fast-paced with a good dollop of suspense and a great twist at the end and this was no exception.

What do you do when your child suddenly starts acting up; start drawing disturbing pictures and gets clingy?  Is it just Tessa's overactive imagination or is something wrong? Soon she starts suspecting everyone especially all the men in her life. She decides to go to the police for help but they don't want to believe her. They just see her as a nosey, overprotective and neurotic mother. When a girl dies just like the picture drawn by her daughter she knows she's got to find out the truth but at what cost......

I could feel Tessa's anxiety and frustration and I found myself rushing through the pages to get to the conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow what a book, I have read all the books by Nicci French until the Frieda Klein Series, and I just couldn't get into those. But this book has reminded me how well written these books are, real thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat and they keep you wondering just what is going on and how is it going to finish. I have now started the Frieda Klein series to get back up to date with Nicci French's books. Amazing book.

I love this author Nicci French, who are a husband and wife and I have read all of their previous work and most current was House of Corrections, so when I saw this novel up for ARC on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read it and I am so glad they approved my request.

We meet the character Tess, mother to little Poppy. Tess and Jason who is the ex of Tess and he is happily re-married.

When Jason has Poppy one weekend she comes home and Tess is concerned when she sees some disturbing drawings that her daughter has done. Poppy starts to bed wet and have scary nightmares and all of this sets off a spiral of events that I literally could not stop reading about.

Tess wants to get to the bottom of these issues that her daughter is portraying and literally will not stop until she finds out what is going on. The novel is fast paced with lots of twists and turns and I really felt for Tess, as a mother myself you will do anything to help your child.

Another brilliant read from Nicci French. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Nicci French and the publishers for allowing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read a few Nicci French books before and have found them enjoyable and gripping.
This story was engaging, Tess who has split from her daughters father has her child at the centre of her life. When she finds a dark and disturbing drawing amongst her daughters belongings she is very worried and starts on a journey to see if her child has witnessed something terrible.
I loved the fact that I had questions all the time reading this one, is she a reliable narrator, why is dismissed by some many people and is she right to suspect all these men she knows.
A thrilling read.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Unheard

I read this novel on the four hour drive to North Wales and spent most of the first day absolutely enthralled with the story. I was hooked almost immediately and intrigued by the mystery of what exactly Tess’s daughter Poppy had seen or heard. Tess is starting a new life in a garden flat with her daughter Poppy, after a divorce from husband Jason. Having a background as a child of divorce, Tess has been determined that Poppy is their number one priority. No matter how much animosity and hurt they feel, their interaction with each other must be civil and they prioritise time with both parents. Jason is already remarried to Emily, a much younger woman who seems very sweet and tries hard to have a relationship with Poppy. They have set times for Poppy to visit and stay over at their house and this has been going well, although every time Poppy’s belongings are put in a bag to transfer from one house to the other, Tess hopes she understands what is happening to her. Tess has started seeing a man called Aidan recently and she’s optimistic about their relationship so far. One Saturday, Poppy returns from an overnight at her father’s and displays signs of distress. These were classic symptoms, that any counsellor like me, would be concerned by. She’s clingy, she wets the bed and seems to be having nightmares. Over a week these symptoms worsen: she bites a girl at school, uses foul language to her teacher, and her mother is terrified for her. She has her attention drawn to a picture Poppy has drawn, all in black crayon which is a huge contrast from her normal rainbow creations. The picture shows a tower and a woman falling from the top to the ground below. ‘He killed her’ she tells her Mum ‘and killed and killed and killed’.

I was hooked and my partner claims I barely spoke to him for two days straight because I was so absorbed in Poppy’s world. Tess is scared for her daughter, but what can she actually do without traumatising her further? Jason insists it’s just a drawing and probably doesn’t mean anything. No one seemed as alarmed as Tess so who can she go to? This sets in motion an enthralling story where my suspicions were first sent in one direction, then another. As well as suspecting every character at different points in the novel, I was also wondering whether it was Tess. Was she an over concerned mother affected by her divorce and her ex-husband’s sudden remarriage? The writer excels at bringing tiny little clues into the narrative that create a doubt in the reader’s mind. Bernie, the upstairs neighbour, is a little odd and makes a couple of remarks to Tess that concerned me. Was he dangerous or just a little eccentric and inappropriate at times? Weird coincidences cropped up that couldn’t be explained by anything except foul play or malicious intent. However, the more this happened, Tess became even more anxious and started to give the impression of being unhinged. As the police became involved things started to spiral; they suspected an overprotective mother and couldn’t find anything to investigate. This spurred Tess on to carry out her own investigation, searching for women who’d died falling from a building and trying to forge links with people in their circle. One sympathetic officer does try to help, but ends up with a dressing down for wasting her time. It takes a long time, and some near misses, for Tess to sit back and realise what her behaviour must look like from the outside. Just because someone appears over anxious, doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about.

I think one of the author’s strengths is their ability to conjure up the ordinary everyday moments we all recognise in life, between the tension and scares. It helps the reader identify with these characters, to accept that they’re real and empathise even more with their predicament. I could feel the tension coming off Tess, and the hurt as well, because some of her discoveries are personally painful. Yet she still has to get Poppy up and to school, then go to work and come home to cook tea and do those domestic chores that we all do in a day. The mental load of being a single parent is enough without the extra suspicions about every new person who has come into their circle. Her fear that someone has invaded that safe, domestic space is one all readers can identify with. The tension is almost unbearable towards our final revelation and it wasn’t the ending I was expecting at all. It makes you think about how far you would go to protect your children. This was a fascinating, addictive read with a menacing atmosphere throughout. Be prepared to lose a couple of days if you pick up this book, you won’t regret it.

I completely devoured The Unheard by Nicki French. Having read many books by this husband and wife team, my expectations were high. It has everything I look for in a thriller. It is tense, has believable characters and kept me guessing the whole way through. Very accomplished.

I wholeheartedly recommend it. My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK Ltd for the chance to read an advance copy.

The unheard by Nikki French.
Tess’s number one priority has always been her three-year-old daughter Poppy. But splitting up with Poppy’s father Jason means that she cannot always be there to keep her daughter safe.
A good read with good characters. I liked the story although a little slow. 4*.

I've read all of the previous Nicci French books so was very happy to receive a copy of this one from the publishers. This had me gripped from the first minute. An easy read that seemed far shorter than it actually was. I enjoyed the way Poppy was written. As a teacher l get very frustrated at the overly immature way some authors write children, but I felt Poppy was done well. A variety of characters. Some likeable and some not so. A great read that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

Tess and Jason are separated and they both share custody of their 3-year-old Poppy. When Poppy returned from Jason's, Tess came across a disturbing picture drawn by Poppy. A dark black picture that looks like a woman who was pushed down from a tower. Poppy also starts to have unusual nightmares and say unpleasant words that have really worried Tess. Tess fears that Poppy might have witnessed something bad while she was at Jason's place.

One afternoon when Tess was drinking coffee in a café with her boyfriend Aiden, a strange woman with a look and smiling at Tess outside the window. The woman then turned up and said she knew Tess, but Tess was sure she didn't know her.

A few days later, Tess discovered the woman she met in the cafe had died. Tess is quick to be suspicious and wants to know about her death. Coincidentally the woman fell from a tower and died. Tess believes that Poppy's drawing is connected to the woman. Tess is very worried about Poppy's mental health and decided to investigate it herself as no one seems to believe what she says. Is this woman related to her ex-boyfriend, Jason? Or someone else? Who can Tess trust?

This is my first book by Nicci French. I heard and seen so much about this author. I knew that I would enjoy it before I started. And yes, I liked it because it's really easy to read. Jason is not a likeable character but he definitely loves Poppy. When it comes to Tess, becoming suspicious and overprotective is the nature of a mother. I love the way the story attracts me quickly and connects me to all the characters from the start. But... I was really hoping that something would happen before the end that would give me a surprise shock or something. Instead, it ends smoothly. Overall I like the writing style and I think I'll pick up Nicci French book whenever I feel like an easy quick read. It's a good psychological thriller I would recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, an engaging read with a detailed plotline.

This is on the one hand, a story of a relationship breakdown. The anxieties of a single parent, the suspicion of what is happening in the 'other' home when custody is shared. On the other there is the story of a child who is trying to give her mother details about a frightening incident , if there is something to it, how can a three year old be a reliable witness?

The duo that make up Nicci French only ever get better, the pacing, the placing of the revelations, the intricacies of the characters are perfectly pitched. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

This was my first book by Nicci French and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A gripping thriller that I didn’t want to put down. Usual lots of suspects/red herrings to keep you guessing. I was disappointed with the ending, it was a bit meh. I found the actual culprit to be a letdown, if it was one of the other suspects I think the MO/back story would be more interesting. Would recommend for sure.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

wow, at times i had to put this book down and walk away as it hit several nerves, especially with the involvement of a child but its compelling reading and you find you have to finish it to find out what happens

and let me to you so much happens that it leaves you feeling thank god its someone elses life and not yours...

poppy the little girl comes out of school one day with a few drawings but one is a very dark drawing and alarm bells go off in her moms brain...tess tries to find out why her daughter has drawn a picture like it but alas she cant get poppy to say what is on her mind...

and from that moment life was never going to be the same again...compelling reading the twists and turns never stop right to the end of the book

I really loved this book, it got me hooked right from the start and kept me guessing for the whole time, which in the end is what you want form a psychological /domestic thriller.
I also liked the writing style with short sentences and a very clever sense of "cliffhanger" at the end of every chapter.
The end spoilt it for me a bit, I'm sorry to say. I have read the whole book highly engrossed in it, hardly capable to put it down and go on with my daily chores, but felt a bit let down by the end: it was confusing and I hadn't that epiphany when you say "Oh, of course, that's it!!" when you find out who the murderer is.
I'm still very interested in reading other books by this duo of authors, because I felt it was a great and very well written suspence story, anyway.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Tess’s daughter returns from a weekend with her father with a disturbing drawing, Tess begins an investigation to find out what she witnessed.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller with many twists and turns. I found it hard to put down. As Tess begins to find out more and more about the men in her life, the plot throws up some dead ends and some new avenues of investigation. I found myself becoming as frustrated as Tess when the police refused to believe her.

However, I found the final reveal confusing and a bit of a let down, not entirely sure how the evidence pointed towards the killer. Yes, there are clues, but it seemed a bit unlikely that Poppy would have witnessed what the author suggests.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Unheard by Nicci French

🎇Poppy, Tess's little daughter returns home from a weekend at her ex Jason's home different. The happy child now curses and has nightmares. Maybe Tess is overprotective but she senses that something is terribly wrong. She has nothing to prove and don't even know what she is looking for, except a damaged doll and scribbled picture made by her daughter.

🎇This is the story of how far a mother would go to protect her daughter! The suspense builds with a frantic Tess talking to everyone and finds everyone has secrets they want to hide. She doesn't know which is the real issue and what is the actual danger lurking around her daughter. 

🎇Well paced plot with unexpected twists and turns. The interactions with police was a little different for me but the suspense was maintained till the last and the unexpected happened !! Totally recommend reading brilliant psychological thriller.

This is my first book by Nicci French and after reading it it will not be my last!
The Unheard was fantastic, it had me hooked almost immediately and had enough twists and turns to keep me reading with an ending which I did not see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my ARC.

When Tess’ daughter Poppy starts acting out after a weekend with her dad, Tess suspects she may have witnessed some kind of crime. The disturbing drawing Poppy did seems to imply that but, can she trust the “words” of a 3 yo? Everyone else in her life thinks it is all in her head but she knows her daughter and is convinced something’s wrong with her, so she decides to investigate herself what Poppy could have seen.

The Unheard was a really engaging read. I found the premise super interesting. How reliable can a little kid be when she doesn’t even know how to express what’s wrong? Tess’ love for her daughter was palpable and it was clear she would do anything for her, but in her attempt to prove her daughter was right we start doubting her. Is Tess right in suspecting every man around her or is she an unreliable narrator? She is sure a crime was committed but, how could Poppy know about it even before said crime happened?

I really racked my brains trying to guess how Tess’ predicament could be explained but I could not think of a single plausible theory. There were quite the number of suspects and each and every one of them gave away “villain vibes” some time, so well done with the misdirection!

The ending left me with some unanswered questions but overall it was satisfying (although I would have liked for a different villain just because I could not stand them!).

Another great story by this husband/wife writing duo. If you’re not familiar with their work I recommend reading also House of Correction, a fantastic and super original prison/courtroom story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.