Tess Moreau has a ‘civilised separation’ from ex-partner Jason with whom she shares custody of three year old Poppy. All seems well until Poppy draws a very unsettling picture, is it darkly imaginative or has she actually seen something? Her behaviour becomes a concern as does some of her language and Jess is full of disquiet and these feelings grow. Who or what has Poppy seen, if indeed she has. Tess narrates.

This book sneaks up on you and pulls you in as you become invested in trying to understand if the concerns are in Tess’s head or is there veracity in a three year olds words?? If you add in that it becomes clear that Jason is neither who nor what she thought, the lines becomes blurry. Who is the real Jason? The one she though she knew or the Jason of now? All kinds of odd things occur from strange encounters to things that have hints of horror and certainly menace. The suspense builds and the way this is written makes you feel what Tess feels from fear to uncertainty to overwhelming love and the desire to protect Poppy. Just like Tess you have no idea who to trust, can we trust Tess herself or is she delusional as people claim? There are red herrings and misdirection and you THINK you know who the wolf in sheep’s clothing is but do you? Is someone pulling Tess’s strings or manipulating Poppy? Who is Poppy afraid of? As the tension builds and Tess sees danger all around, is she obsessed, a unreliable narrator or truthful? As we reach the very good conclusion as Tess learns, sometimes you have to do wrong to do right.

Overall, this is an exceptional writing duo who can always be relied on to produce a well written plot with pace, suspense, twists and turns. My only reservation lies in Tess’s exchanges with the police which I find somewhat unrealistic but other than that it’s a cracking read and I can see this one being dramatised for television.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Tess is making a new life for her and her three-year-old daughter Poppy after splitting up with Jason. They have a new home in London and she’s started a new relationship. But after a weekend with Jason and his new wife, Poppy returns with a batch of drawings, including one in black crayon that is dark, violent and distressing. Tess questions her about it and is unsettled when Poppy says, “He did kill her. Kill and kill and kill.”
Poppy starts wetting the bed, saying unsettling things, swearing and attacking friends at school. Tess is convinced Poppy has seen something terrible but no one is taking her seriously, dismissing her as a neurotic parent with a child with an active imagination. Tess eventually stumbles upon a murder that seems similar to Poppy’s drawing and soon she’s suspecting everyone in her and Poppy’s lives and questioning how she has viewed events in the past.
It’s a creepy concept and you are drawn into Tess’ unsettled world, feeling her fear and distrust. But the story loses steam, with the ending being a let down and not following through on the promise of the book. The authors (husband and wife team of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French who write as Nicci French) remain among my favourites for creative unsettling psychological thrillers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this book.

Another gripping read by Nicci French. Easily read in a day, yet that doesn’t mean that this novel is a slight thing. As well as ensuring their usual gripping plotline with plenty of red herrings, recognisable characters and convincing domestic detail, ‘The Unheard’ focuses on the ways in which people can be muzzled because of their gender, their age, or their state of mind.
Single parent Tess becomes increasingly concerned as her three-year-old daughter, Poppy, begins to say and do unusually aggressive things. Her drawings become black scribbles and she is unusually clingy. Can her parents’’ divorce have affected her that much?
Whilst this is undoubtedly a novel about parenting, it is also an exploration of vulnerability. Tess is quick to notice her daughter’s anguish and she is sensitive enough to pick up on Poppy’s step-mother’s suffering. Nevertheless, she is also quick to brush off the police concerns about her own well-being. If you enjoy Nicci French’s psychological thrillers, you will certainly be engrossed by ‘The Unheard.’
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK, for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

The Unheard by Nicci French

The unheard voice in this book is Tess’s daughter three-year-old Poppy, who has started drawing dark pictures of a woman falling from a tower, and is becoming more and more distressed.

Tess is a single mother, sharing the care of Poppy with her ex-partner, Jason, and his new wife.
She is embarking on a relationship with Aidan, and working as a teacher.
She is becoming obsessed with Poppy’s worries, and when she hears that a woman has died falling from a tall building, connects that with her pictures.
As Tess starts to involve the police and mistrusts and suspects all the men in her life, you being to question if her fears are real, or whether she is having some kind of a breakdown.

As the truth about Poppy’s fears comes out, there are many twists in true Nicci French fashion.
Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book.

I have read many books from the authors in the past and can honestly say they are by far the best psychological thriller writers I’ve ever read so I jumped at the chance of reading #TheUnheard. Unfortunately I was really quite disappointed. I was intrigued throughout despite finding it a bit far fetched but when the culprit was revealed I didn’t quite see how everything tied up, it felt quite vague. Even Tess herself said something along the lines of not knowing what/how Poppy had seen/heard what she did. I also felt disappointed that one character although not a murderer, their bad behaviour was forgotten about at the end when they were still obviously treating their new partner badly. Such a shame from my favourite author.
#NetGalley

Tess is mother to a three-year old girl, Poppy. When Poppy starts behaving strangely, Tess starts to look for answers. But is Tess being a neurotic parent, or is Poppy’s behaviour because of something more sinister?
I enjoy a Nicci French novel and think this is one of their best yet.
The characters are well-drawn, and you start to think - like Tess - that none of the men in her life can be trusted and any one of them could be harbouring a secret.
I read this in one day, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Recommended if you enjoy a pacey thriller with plenty of suspense thrown in.

Tess worries that her daughter Poppy is showing disturbing behavior, drawing pictures of a woman falling from a tower, wetting the bed, and swearing. She seeks help from poppy's teacher, a child therapist and finally the police but they all say that she has no proof. Poppy's father also brushes aside her concerns. this novel is full of momentum. It is not as good as the Freida Klein series but still an enjoyable read.

Tess and Jason have separated, but are determined to keep things amicable for the sake of their young daughter, Poppy.

When, after returning from Jason's house, Poppy draws a disturbing picture and starts repeating words she certainly didn't hear at home, Tess becomes convinced her daughter has witnessed, or at least knows something about, a crime. The police, predictably - since there's no actual evidence - can't do much. But unable to shake the feeling that something is badly wrong, Tess struggles to find out more and to get the police to take her seriously.

As she begins to suspect almost everyone around her - and learn previously unsuspected things about, for one, her ex-partner - Tess finds herself under almost unbearable pressure. But it seems nobody's listening....

Nicci French books are always a good read, and this has that familiar tense, claustrophobic feel. At one point it almost felt like Poppy (a convincingly stroppy three-year-old) had some kind of precognitive ability and that the story was going to go down a paranormal route, which would have been unexpected. That's not what happens, though, and the truth when revealed is all too believable.

Always excited to read a new Nicci French and this one doesn't disappoint. I read the whole book in the day and it's a long time since I've done that. Would definitely recommend.

I always enjoy picking up a book by Nicci French and I was not disappointed. This is a psychological suspense thriller that draws on the fears of mothers everywhere - the fear that something will happen to their child.

Tess is a single parent of 3 year old Poppy, having split with Poppy's father, Jason, who has a new life and a new wife. The split is amicable and Poppy seems quite happy and well-adjusted, spending her time between her two parents. Tess, herself, is in a new relationship with Aidan and is taking things slowly because of Poppy. Everything seems perfect until Poppy comes home after staying at her father's with a bundle of drawings and Tess comes across one that chills her. There is so much danger and violence in it that she becomes afraid. As well as the drawing, her daughter seems to have changed and Tess worries that maybe something happened when she was staying with Jason. Did she witness something, overhear something? And that fear begins to take over her life. She is convinced that Poppy saw something and is now in danger. The thing is, no one believes her. As for Poppy, how reliable a witness is a three-year old?

Tess' growing anxiety for her daughter, her constant search for answers at the risk of alienating everyone around her, is very well written. You can truly understand the maternal instinct to protect at all costs. Maybe some of the things Tess does are a bit extreme - if I was in her shoes, would I do the same? Who knows. However, it is a very good read. The ending? Maybe I did get an inkling of where it was going, but I certainly didn't pick up the reasons and some parts of the ending did surprise me.

A great read that you don't want to put down. Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me to read it.

This author is absolutely a must read for me and this book was not a disappointment! Absolutely loved it and can not wait for more! Thank you so much to publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this arc!

I really like Nicci French books but unfortunately don't think this is one of their strongest. Perhaps I am still hoping for another Frieda Klein but "The Unheard" is a standalone novel (although there are references to the Warehouse which was nice). Generally the book did suck me in and I found it a page turner but I'm slightly confused/disappointed by the ending. Perhaps I read too fast but I didn't quite understand how she had arrived at her conclusion. Still a head above many crime thriller novels.

I love starting a new Nicci French book because I know that no matter what the subject is, I am going in safe hands with husband and wife team Nicci and Sean, and that I will enjoy the book.
When Tess finds a dark and menacing drawing by her three year old, Poppy, amongst her usual bright and colourful ones, she knows something is awry. It is a parents instinct. Tess is sure Poppy has witnessed something horrific which she cannot verbalise. Can a three year old make a reliable witness? Will anyone believe Tess? How can she find out what Poppy has seen without traumatising her further? Has Poppy actually seen anything or is Tess just an overanxious parent?
Beautifully written and so well plotted. Another great book by this duo. Highly recommend for fans of Nicci French and those new to the authors.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read the majority of the novels by Nicci French and have loved each and every one of them. This was yet another brilliant read.

The novel is written from the viewpoint of Tess, a single mother to three-year-old Poppy, but she shares the parenting with Jason, her former partner. They never married as they didn’t consider it necessary, although Jason has since married.

Although strained the co-parenting seems to be going well until Poppy returns from a weekend stay with Jason carrying a disturbing picture she has drawn and wets the bed that evening, something she hasn’t done for some time. Tess is fraught and tries to find out what has caused this.

It is a dark psychological thriller full of imperfect characters, several of whom have dark secrets. Cleverly plotted with twists and turns which keep coming throughout the read.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK and Nicci French for my ARC of The Unheard in return for my honest review.

Another must read, highly recommended.

I felt this was one of the best books written by Nuccio French. The story begins with the drawing made by the daughter of the protagonist which leads her to believe there is serious problem at hand. The mystery unfolds at a nice pace, drawing the reader in... Highly recommended!

I’ve never been disappointed with a Nicci French novel (written expertly by wife and husband team Nicci Gerard and Sean French) and this is another fantastic read that comes highly recommended. Entirely from single mother Tess’s point of view – she shares parenting of her daughter Poppy with her ex-partner Jason – she is overcautious but once you begin reading, you’ll perhaps understand why. While co-parenting with Jason works to a point, it’s understandably hard for Tess to watch him enjoy another romantic life with another woman. When Poppy draws a picture that is both disturbing and a bit frightening, Tess wonders what happened during a weekend at Daddy’s. When her daughter displays other behaviours, Tess knows it’ll be up to her to figure out exactly what is wrong. Like all Nicci French thrillers, information is drip fed to the reader, so you gradually become increasingly aware of what’s going on. The authors have a real understanding of human behaviour and Tess’s reactions feel realistic and believable.

Rating: 3.8/5

This latest offering from husband and wife writing team, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, has some shortcomings, but still warrants a high star rating due to its captivating readability.

Tess and her former partner, Jason, share the parental responsibilities for their young daughter, Poppy. All appears to be well and the former couple seem to be making a decent fist of handling the post-break-up arrangements. But when Tess comes across a disturbing drawing by Poppy she starts to doubt whether all is really as well with her daughter's world as she had believed.

"The Unheard" is a standalone domestic / psychological thriller from the combined pens of Nicci French. It certainly requites the reader to suspend disbelief and allow the authors a fair degree of dramatic licence, particularly with regard to the interactions between Tess and the police. However, if you are prepared to grant the writers the necessary leeway, you will be rewarded with a well-written and suspenseful novel that holds the attention throughout.

Stylistically, this is quite filmic and it wouldn't take any great stretch of the imagination to visualise this as a television mini-series. The are enough characters with less than pristine personal lives to keep readers guessing the identity of the culprit, though seasoned readers of the genre will probably have pieced together the main parts of the puzzle prior to the formal revealing.

Overall, a well-paced and entertaining read that should keep most readers happy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

OMG I loved it. This author is fab!
A pulse-pounding, absolutely gripping and totally addictive page-turner that will have you racing through the pages and reeling at the twists ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked every book this author has written and this was no exception. Fast paced story telling, great characters and had me hooked to the end. Would recommend.

What. A. Book. This is the third Nicci French book I've read and each one is an incredible read. This book was gripping from start to finish and I had absolutely no idea where the story was going or how all the characters were linked. A very easy read in the best sort of way, and one that made me want to read quickly to find out the ending. I would definitely recommend this book, the characters and the plot are so well thought out and you can sense the frustrations of Tess through the page!