I enjoyed this story, Linda was quite the character and she wasn't straightforward, which made her all the more interesting. Her husband Terry was pretty awful and her mother very judgemental. Then the murders start. Told from differing perspectives, it was a good read.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. It is labelled as a dark comedy - I'm unsure where the comedy was as I didn't come across it.

I enjoyed the book but I often felt like big chunks were missing, it seemed to jump from one place to another.

I liked the twist at the end, although I do confess that I had guessed it quite early on.

Overall, I would say it was OK.

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

This is character driven. It had a dual narrative which pulls you in two directions. The characterisation is so good. The author had a good writing style

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

Funny, quirky story with unusual characters and a few twists. Would recommend will look for more by Joanne Cannon.

A Tidy Ending....or is it?

It took me a while to get into this book, I felt it was lacking in "action" until around the 40% mark - it's a bit of a slow burn. Once we got going, I struggled to put it down, following the story with anticipation as it unfolded with its twists and turns. I enjoyed the author's writing (as I have done in her other books) and would not hesitate to read any of her further works however, this one did fall slightly flat, taking so long to get going and then delivering an ending which I felt could have been a bit tidier as the title would suggest!!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this quirky read.

This book has a lovely, bright cover which is very eye catching. I’ve read another of Joanna Cannon’s books and enjoyed it so looked forward to reading this one. I started reading it without having read the blurb, so I had no idea what to expect. The book is definitely not cheerful like the bright yellow cover may suggest.

The book centres around Linda, a woman who seems slightly odd and lonely. She had a traumatic childhood which led to her and her mother moving away. Now she’s married to Terry but it doesn’t seem like a happy marriage. Women go missing in the local area and then bodies are found, the police suspect it’s someone who lives nearby.

Throughout I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on and Linda made me feel very unsettled. At times I felt so sorry for her as I felt she was taken advantage of and mocked, but I also found her a bit sinister and think she’s an easy character to underestimate. I felt there were a couple of loose ends which seemed forgotten about.

Overall I did like this book, it held my interest and I wanted to find out what was going on. I’m still trying to work out exactly what happened, as the ending is quite ambiguous.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

‘𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞.’

Linda loves a puzzle but I found her to be the biggest puzzle of all. Something is not quite right about Linda.

There were many mysteries running through this book, bodies being found, anonymous letters, what happened with Linda’s father, where are parts of the narration set and who is Rebecca Finch? But like any good crossword you need something from one part to solve another and it will all become clear at the end.

I had an inkling fairly early on but it certainly didn’t spoil my enjoyment, if anything I wanted to read on to see if I was right. Lots of red herrings were added as a distraction and with Linda being a little odd it also made me question how reliable her narration was. She came across as someone who could easily bend the truth to suit her own purpose.

This was Augusts read in Novels&Natter bookclub and every one of us enjoyed it. It was a great choice as it provided fantastic discussion points and the twist was cleverly deceptive even though the clues were there all along.

‘𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧? 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬?’

This book has stayed with me.
Linda and Terry live a quite boring and quiet life. Then the murders begin.
It is quite difficult to review this intricate and creepy thriller without spoilers but it had me racing to the end and gasping as it all panned out.
Brilliant

Cannon manages to find the beauty in the mundane and write it so well. The plot twist at the end makes it even more worth reading!

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Loved this! It kept me gripped from the start and wouldn’t let go till the end! It was one of those books that disrupts normal life because it simply won’t be put down. Joanna Canon is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

I found this confusing and not much content to the story. I will not be recommending this. I did however think the twist at the end was worthwhile.

I really enjoyed sharing this story with Linda. The characterisation is great and the story builds beautifully. This would be a great holiday read and is gripping and complex yet easy to follow. Definitely one that I would recommend and share

just a little thin overall felt this book was lacking had the potential to be something better and was a bit predictable towards the end of the novel

Linda and her husband Terry seem to have a fairly staid lifestyle but we start to learn a little about Linda's backstory early in the book and I was interested to find out more about her troubled past. Meanwhile, women are going missing in the local community, Terry is becoming increasingly preoccupied and absent and Linda becomes obsessed with the previous occupant of her new house, Rebecca. How would these strands be woven together?

I enjoyed reading this book and following Linda on her journey. I liked her character and the way she 'says it as it is' and represented a neurodiverse viewpoint. I hated the way that some characters pitied or took advantage of her, however, and hoped they would get their comeuppance - you will have to read the book to find out if that happens or not.

It was a good read, but I found the ending a little too 'tidy' (which is ironic); it was all wrapped up a bit too quickly and felt a little contrived to me, with some questions unanswered. Nonetheless, the book on the whole was well written, original and engaging and I will look out for other titles by the same author.

Thanks to Joanna Cannon, Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In some way I feel Linda is what most women are these days. Living with a husband that takes her for granted and doesn't half the time realize she is still there. In their neighborhood unsolved murders start terrorizing and her husband keeps on staying away from home for longer and more odd times. This makes the reader wonder where everything fits together. Thrilling read!

This was an unusual read. I have found myself thinking about the characters during the week after reading though, which I do think is one of the signs of a good book.

The character of Linda is extremely well written as is her mother. You spend time feeling sorry for Linda, that her Mother has been so mean to her throughout the years and her husband is awful. And then, you start to really worry about her, totting up a fortune on a store card and falling for the awful couple in the bar.

What a clever book - It did take me ages to read but has definitely stayed with me. 3.5 stars rounded up due to the fact I keep thinking about it..

The novel is narrated entirely by the main character Linda, who is naive and socially awkward and easily obsessed by other people and their lives. Her life is boring, in her neat little house on a housing estate with her irritating husband Terry, who is secretive and uncommunicative. The main excitement in the neighbourhood is the murder of a young woman, which gives them all something to speculate and gossip about in the pub and the supermarket.

With a part time job at a charity shop and no real friends, Linda has only her judgemental mother to visit. They are close, due to the shocking event involving Linda's father that happened in Wales during her childhood, causing them to flee to a small English town. She dreams of a more glamorous life filled with beautiful clothes and furniture and wonderful friends. After receiving a glossy brochure in the mail one day for Rebecca, the previous resident of her house, Linda becomes obsessed about meeting and befriending Rachel who seems the epitome of glamour to her.

Linda's relationship with Rebecca and her partner Jolian, is amusing and also sad in equal part, as she seems to have no insight or understanding of people and their motives. However, Linda is more perceptive and astute than we realise as the clever and entertaining ending of the book shows.