Well, this book captured my attention from the very first page! It’s safe to say that there was much more to this story and characters than first appears. The author has definitely created a very tangled web for all of the characters. As secrets and lies complicate their lives even further. For the most part the characters are pretty unlikeable but to be honest this didn’t bother me. They all had their flaws obviously some more than others but I thought the author did a great job of delving into their personalities. I will admit that my opinion of them also changed from time to time. This was down to the fact the story is told from different points of view. Which overall I think helped to create a more rounded story.

The pacing for The Face at the Window was pretty good for the most part. With a tense build up that increases with every new revelation and twist. There are also dark themes that deepen throughout especially as the story switched perspectives. The Face at the Window shows that even though things may look perfect from the outside. Just take a little look further and there might be something more sinister lurking below the surface. I’m eager to read more books by Ruby Speechley now that I have read The Face at the Window, experiencing its dark and chilling edge!

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Very captivating with amazing character development. A family owns a restaurant and is in a real pinch when someone doesn’t show up to work one day and miraculously a woman waltzes in and saves the day. A couple months down the line the same woman becomes a close family friend and swoops in to save the date one more time while the mom is shopping in a grocery store and her five year old newborn is having a meltdown. She offers to watch the baby outside while she finishes. Yet when she gets outside, they’re done. You think you know everything, yet you do not, and so much more that will have you guessing what is really going on until the end. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my fourth book of Ruby’s and it reminded me of how impressed I was after reading the first one Someone else’s baby. Nothing is ever quite as it seems and she somehow manages to take a person’s worst fears and put them on the page in such a way that your heart is in your throat as you read it.

In this case Gemma, a new mum is queuing in the supermarket with a fractious baby when a friend/colleague offers to push him in the pram outside while she waits. Something most of us would do I’m sure, especially when it’s someone we know. But what happens next is every parents nightmare, she has disappeared with the baby and turned her mobile off…..

This is also the story of Scarlett, desperately wanting her mum to give her details of her father and whose boyfriend is a married man. These two stories alternate and show two very different women but what they have in common is what links them together.

This book covers a serious subject but it is handled with care and the author deftly shows how an image portrayed to others isn’t necessarily who that person really is. After all you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

With a building tension that will have you shouting at the pages, some despicable characters and a plot that has some well crafted twisty manoeuvres, this is another great thriller from Ruby Speechley.

To call Ruby Speechley’s latest thriller The Face at the Window terrifying would be an understatement. A nail-biting thriller packed with heart-pounding twists and turns that will have readers cowering behind the sofa, Ruby Speechley’s The Face at the Window is a top-notch chiller that is a struggle to put down.

Gemma Adams leads a life most people would give their right arm for. From her handsome husband and adorable baby boy to a beautiful house straight out of a lifestyle magazine, Gemma’s picture-perfect life is envied by all her followers online. Who wouldn’t want to spend their lives in an impeccably decorated home alongside a husband who looks like he has just walked off a catwalk and a beautiful baby? Yet, what her followers do not realise is that beneath the surface, not everything that glitters so brightly is necessarily gold…

Gemma lives in fear every single day of her life. She has dark secrets in her past which she has gone to great lengths to keep hidden. Secrets that could destroy and shatter her perfectly cultivated image in a heartbeat. Gemma has spent a lifetime running away from the truth, but she can no longer continue hiding. Someone is watching from the shadows and when they make their move, her entire world is going to come crashing down around her ears.

When baby Thomas is taken, Gemma vows to do whatever it takes to get him back – even if it means bringing long-buried secrets into the light. Will Gemma find Thomas? Or is she about to lose everything all over again?

Ruby Speechley’s twisty and sinister thrillers just keep getting better and better and The Face at the Window is domestic noir at its most menacing! A brilliantly plotted thriller that explores what is hidden behind closed doors, the lies we tell ourselves and the darkness lurking behind the most perfect social media photos, The Face at the Window is a nerve-jangling and pulse-pounding thriller that will leave readers with their hearts in their throats throughout.

The Face At The Window' by Ruby Speechley that is an emotional thriller that makes you feel that you are on a rollercoaster. The author has created a story that is an uncomfortable and thought provoking read. Making such an impact like this is proof of a great author choosing a subject that isn't neccessarily pleasant but important.
We meet Gemma, married to Nick with a little boy, Thomas. To the outside world they have the perfect life but as we know things are rarely as they first appear and Ruby Speechley shows us just how different that life can be.
The story is told from multiple narratives which gives us a broad perspective on events from both before and after Thomas goes missing. As the events unfold we learn more about the characters which made me view them in a different light.
Ruby Speechley has created characters that are intended to bring a reaction. She has definitely managed that. They are all developed so well that one of them even gave me goose bumps, not a pleasant person at all.
A thriller that highlights manipulation, physical and mental abuse as well as grooming among other serious issues we deal with in todays world. A book that had me flipping the pages so fast I thought my kindle would short out! A gripping tale that is an engrossing read and one that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Sarah Hardy of Book On The Bright Side for my place on the tour, Hera Books and Netgalley for the copy of the book.

This is another addictive novel by an extremely talented and fantastic author. I have been hooked from the very beginning and on occasions this has sent shivers down my spine.

This is a well written novel with a unique and interesting plot. There are a number of unlikeable characters that fill the pages of this gem.

This book has taken me on an emotional rollercoaster. I have loved seeing secrets and lies unravel in the pages of this one. However, there are some darker themes present in the pages, abuse, violence, control, deception and lying.

The author has really transported me while reading this one, I have felt as though I have been watching the events play out.

I can’t wait to see what this author has in store for us next.

I have read and loved a couple of Ruby’s books now. I love the way in which she writes psychological thrillers that send a bit of a shiver down your spine. I read the synopsis for ‘The Face At The Window’ and it certainly sounded like my type of read. So without further ado, I dived straight in. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Face At The Window’ but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn into this story from the moment I read the synopsis and as soon as I started to read the story itself then that was it. I found it extremely difficult to put my Kindle to one side for any length of time. The story intrigued me and I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen. I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered down the wrong path entirely. There were a couple of characters, to whom I took an instant dislike and I had to find out what happened to them. The pages turned at a fairly fast pace and I finished the book within the space of a day. I found ‘The Face At The Window’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘The Face At The Window’ is extremely well written. Ruby has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She grabs your attention from fairly early on and reels you into what proves to be a compelling story. In my opinion the story was perfectly paced. The story was a bit of a slow burn but the plot gained momentum as the story continued before ending in a tense and dramatic conclusion. Reading ‘The Face At The Window’ was a bit like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘The Face At The Window’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Ruby’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

The opening of this book sets the scene for what is an intense and emotional roller-coaster. Gemma’s newborn baby is taken but why has she been targeted?

Gemma has a very carefully curated online life but, as is so often the case, not is all as it appears. Behind the façade lies a very unhappy woman, who is stuck in an abusive marriage. Her husband Nick is an awful character and as soon as their baby is taken you know how he is going to react. This makes for some very intense scenes so please be aware of this if it may trigger you.

The story is told from two points of view and from two timelines. Our other main character is Scarlett. She is struggling with unknowns from her past and a complicated situation in her present. The timelines work really well, we are discovering how events are playing out after the baby has been taken, interspersed with the days leading up to it. I loved putting the puzzle pieces together.

I would have loved to have seen a bit more from Gemma at the end. The book, to me, was crying out for an epilogue. The focus was very much on Scarlett, which made sense, I just had a stronger connection to Gemma’s character.

As a parent this is one of my worse nightmares, I could feel Gemma’s terror and desperation as clearly as if it was my own. Willing her to find the answers and discover where her baby was. This is a fast paced, chilling thriller which reminds us that nobody’s life is as perfect as they lead you to believe online.

The Face at the Window is an emotional roller coaster of a thriller and makes for really uncomfortable reading. I always think if a story makes you squirm and flinch when reading, then it’s a story that needs telling and people need to hear – even if it isn’t pleasant. This novel did exactly that and as much as I enjoyed reading it, for me it raised a lot of other thoughts and feelings too.
The main theme for me is manipulation and abuse and the devastating and rippling impact this can have. To the outside world Gemma and Nick have a perfect life but things are rarely as they seem and there is so much more going on. Ruby Speechley does a fantastic job of creating a vile villain who makes your skin crawl and is so very frighteningly real (because these people do exist). My heart completely went out to Scarlett too.
Multiple narrators provide an interesting perspective on the events before and after Thomas’s disappearance. Events past and present are explored and throughout the book they build a more detailed picture of the various characters. The more that is revealed, the more things are explained and can be understood and the way I felt about different characters changed as this happened.
Short chapters and changes in narration made this a really pacey novel to read. I flew through it and couldn’t put it down. A brilliant thriller that addresses many themes and real-life issues and serves as a cautionary tale to not be too taken in by social media.

The Face at the Window is about seeming to have it all but hiding everything you don't want the world to see. Gemma has the perfect life including a brand new baby named Thomas. When he is taken from her everything changes. Scarlett is having an affair and when her boyfriend wants to end things she plans the perfect revenge. That's about all I can say without giving anything away! You need to read this book!

"A few nice photos of your house and they think they know you, that you must be living the perfect life. If only they knew."

Gemma and her husband Nick seem to have the ideal life: a happy marriage, picture-perfect home and a beautiful newborn baby. But behind the shiny image they portray to the outside world is something much darker. A life where Gemma lives in fear of saying or doing the wrong thing and Nick has all the control.

Scarlett and her lover Cole are soulmates. As soon as his divorce is finalised they are going to be together properly. Forever. At least that’s what he’s promised her. So when he suddenly ends their relationship Scarlett is shocked, and determined to win back her man. But as she starts to think that he has in fact lied to her, her thoughts instead turn to revenge. Leading her to take drastic and shocking action to make him pay for what he did.

This is one of those books that’s a bit like an iceberg: what you see at first is only a part of what is actually going on beneath the surface. Taut, tense and twisty, the author shifts seamlessly between timelines to slowly unveil the layers in the story, weaving them together to craft a complex and intricate thriller. And while there were some things that were easy to predict, there were so many unanswered questions, unexpected revelations and misdirection that it kept you on your toes and avoided feeling predictable.

Gemma and Scarlett felt like they could be any young woman you know. They are close in age but their lives couldn’t be more different, a contrast that is compelling. Gemma in particular was very likeable and reading her felt like I could have been reading about myself many years ago. I just wanted to help her break free of Nick’s grasp. Scarlett had her charms, but she also did a lot of messed up things in the name of revenge that disturbed me. But while the author doesn’t make excuses for her, she does show the reader her motivations, helping us to understand her behaviour. I found myself often empathising with her, even if I didn’t agree with what she was doing. Then there’s Nick; a vile, abusive man who made my stomach churn and blood boil. The author got the mix of charm and viciousness down to perfection so you could understand both how Gemma fell in love with him and why she was so scared.

The author explores the topic of domestic violence and coercive control in a multitude of ways throughout this book. She looks at how people find themselves in these kinds of relationships, what it is like to live in a relationship dominated by escalating abuse and control, and the aftermath of abuse and what that means for those who survived. As a domestic abuse survivor I appreciated the honesty and sensitivity with which she wrote. It is clear that she has done her research and was so realistic that it did bring back memories of my own experience. But it is also a book that educates and makes you think, helping those who don’t have any experience of these kinds of situations to understand how easily anyone can find themselves trapped in that kind of life. I also liked that she showed the many facets of abuse and control and appreciated her note at the end with places to go to for help for those who need it.

Unnerving, explosive and affecting, this was a gripping thriller that I’d recommend to fans of the genre.

When new mum Gemma is seen struggling with her shopping and baby at the tills, a familiar friendly face appears and offers to help. The young woman, suggests that she could take Thomas outside to wait for her. A grateful Gemma hands over her son and pays for her goods. When she goes outside, neither of them can be seen. It soon becomes clear, that Thomas, has been abducted by the young woman.

What a tremendous story this is. The opening chapter is only the tip of the iceberg of what is to come, as the story drops back a few weeks to fill in why things have become so dramatic. Most of the characters are not particularly likeable, and some you will change your opinion about as the story deepens and opens up. There are a lot of triggers in the story, for anyone that has to be careful with their reading choices.

I liked how the story developed and drew me in, often misleading me, not purposely but because the characters had to work things out themselves too. I believe how the author deals with these sensitive and delicate issues makes you look at how easy it is to be manipulated and not know, especially when the characters are at an impressionable age.

I liked how the author brought all these storylines together at the end. It is so much more than I thought it was going to be.

I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Synopsis -

Gemma seems to have a picture perfect life – a beautiful estate home, a wonderful husband and now a lovely new born baby. But she has some dark secrets hidden in her marriage and added to that she is being stalked. When her baby boy Thomas is abducted, Gemma has no choice but to confront her life & do whatever it takes.

Review -

The book is set in Bedford, UK, during the summer of 2018 and the narrative alternates between the POVs of Gemma in the present day and the days leading up to the abduction and Scarlett, the 21 year old who is having an affair with a married man.

The plot was very gripping with short chapters that kept me turning pages, wanting to know more with each turn of events. The writing was fast-paced, but lacked in character development, which I think is understandable since this is more of a plot driven novel.

The author very cleverly misleads us hiding things in plain sight and creating confusion initially. But I found some of the dialogues getting repetitive as the timelines merged Gemma and Scarlett’s perspectives.

The book involves a few triggers – domestic abuse and violence. The author connects the stories of the protagonists well, drawing similarities and patterns in their lives..

The ending however felt rushed, though the buildup was prolonged. Too many things seemed to happen and it felt as though the author was trying hard to create twists that can “wow” us. But sadly, it was quite predictable and I didn’t experience the “punching” effect.

But I really liked the writing style and will definitely read more by this author!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The cover for this book definitely caught my eye. It has an unsettling synopsis and one that made me intrigued before I even started it.

Gemma is married to Nick, and everything about being a mum to Thomas is new. He’s only 5 days old and she is trying to do some shopping. When one of her employees spots her and offers to help, Gemma is only too happy to. After all, she knows this person and trusts them!

This is a suspense novel that is told in differing timelines and from differing perspectives. It caught me initially but as I got to know the characters I was able to differentiate between them.

The author has woven a story that is about a missing baby. It does, however, have more to it than that, it does sound like I am downplaying the severity of the baby, honestly, I am not. The baby is the finale in some ways even though it’s at the beginning. The story that follows is the lead up to that climax and you get all the whys, who’s and where’s.

His was a story that definitely hooked me. Even though you will guess early who he who is going to about the journey that takes place between the characters.

This one was an addictive read as I was so curious. Took a route I didn’t expect and it was a route I enjoyed. This is one for readers who like mystery, intrigue and stories set in a domestic setting. I would happily recommend this book.

I finished The Face at the Window early this morning. Whilst the synopsis given is only from one point of view, there is a lot more going on in this book. Told from multiple POV's, the story centres around a baby being taken away from a couple, by a girl who works at the female's restaurant. ⁣
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I enjoy a good thriller and though this one appealed to me, in the end it was too predictable. There were no surprises or twists and the story line seemed to take the path I expected.

The face in the window alternates between the perspective of Gemma and Scarlett. Gemma is married to Nick and has just given birth to baby Thomas. Scarlett is having an affair with her former teacher, Cole. It transpires that Nick and Cole are the same person.

When Cole wants to end the affair, Scarlett goes on a mission to win him back. No if she fails, to punish him. Using an alias, Rosie, she gains Gemma’s trust making it possible for her to take baby Thomas.

The main theme was domestic violence which was well tackled but would have like to have seen more emotion from the characters.

The secondary thread of Scarlett’s biological father was also well plotted.

This was an engaging read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a very exciting, entertaining book. It started out slow but when it picked up it was very enjoyable

I’d like to thank Hera Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Face At The Window’ by Ruby Speechley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Gemma has taken five-day-old baby Thomas to the supermarket where she gets stuck in a queue and can’t stop Thomas from screaming. Rosie, one of the employees at Gemma’s restaurant, sees them and offers to take Thomas outside and push him around while Gemma finishes her shop but when Gemma gets to where they agreed to meet Rosie and Thomas have vanished. Rosie has her own reasons for taking the baby away but doesn’t realise the consequences of her actions.

‘The Face At The Window’ is a gripping family drama with suspense, intrigue and twists and turns. Although interesting, not all of the characters are particularly pleasant especially Gemma’s husband Nick who’s controlling and aggressive but keeps it hidden, and we only learn about Scarlett’s confused family life in the last few chapters. The plot that touches on domestic abuse has been well-written and although we’re told from the beginning who’s responsible for taking Thomas we don’t know the reason why, and this has kept me guessing for a good part of the way. I’ve enjoyed reading this novel which is the first I’ve read by this author and I’ll be looking out for more by her.

To the outside world, Gemma Adams has it all: a beautiful house, a job she enjoys, a handsome husband and a newborn baby boy. Gemma knows this is all a facade, however, and is harbouring secrets about her marriage that could destroy her. Now her baby has been taken by someone she thought she could trust and her marriage is going from bad to worse. She needs her baby back, even if it puts her own life in danger.

The Face at the Window is told from the perspective of two young women, each of them in an abusive relationship, even if they can’t actually see it. Gemma appears to have the perfect life, something she shares happily on her social media. The photographs she posts hide the true nature of her relationship, however, and we soon discover how controlling her husband, Nick, is. It was quite unnerving as a reader to see this develop, fearing for Gemma and willing her to make the break.

The other main protagonist is Scarlett, a young woman with secrets of her own. She, too, is in a controlling relationship with an older man but is too naive to see this. Perhaps for me, the most interesting aspect of her story was her search for her unknown father. book, leading to an exciting denouement that had me holding my breath.

Although this is about a missing baby and, indeed, this is an integral part of the plot, there is so much more to The Face at the Window. This is a book about coercive control and abuse and serves as a lesson into how we shouldn’t always believe everything we see on the likes of Instagram. Ruby Speechley has written strong, believable characters who made me question whether everyone who commits a crime should receive a punishment if the reason behind it is to save someone else.

This was one of those books that had me hooked from the start and kept my attention right until the very last page. A definite page-turner!

The Face At The Window by Ruby Speechley, like the author's previous novels, virtually propels you through the pages, so I would advise not picking up this one up unless you have an uninterrupted length of time in front of you. You will not want to put it down.

Told from dual perspectives, we meet Gemma and Scarlett, two women of a similar age but in very different circumstances in life. Married with a newborn son, Gemma runs a successful restaurant, and would never dare to let on what happens behind closed doors with her husband, Nick. Scarlett is caught up in an affair with a married man, living with her mother and trying to glean any information she can about her father, whose identity has always been a mystery. The lives of these women are on a collision course, and the twists and turns will leave you breathless.

Tackling the subject of domestic violence, even in a fictional sphere, is not an easy task, but Ms Speechley takes it on with unflinching honesty and the book, in my opinion, is all the richer for it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an ARC.