I have mixed feelings about this book. It was really well written and I kind of understood what I would be getting, having read the author's previous book, The Villa.
But there were too many unlikeable people in this for me. I just couldn't root for anyone, which made it a bit of a chore to keep going with it.
I definitely preferred the first half to the second and felt that it got pretty unplausible towards the end.
I would still be interested in reading more from Ruth Kelly, after enjoying The Villa. But this one just wasn't for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A dark, isolating thriller with dark themes, this had me turning pages faster and faster (but only in a well lit, public area..)

When influencer couple Adele and Jack are gifted a French Chateau, they cannot believe their luck, however with this gift is a contract full of strange conditions, a creepy gardener, and with an unfriendly local town, will they live to regret their move? (Swipe for full synopsis)

Kelly shows us the dark side of social media in The Escape. The theme of obsession runs throughout the novel, and lead us to question what we should and shouldn’t share on social platforms. Anything shared on social media could lead to disastrous, or even tragic consequences…

Adele immediately irritates me by asking her followers to buy her a chateau worth well over a million euros, so she can live her dream. The sense of entitlement really grated on me, and it was laughable considering she only had a few thousand followers; they all would have had to donate thousands to fund someone else’s dream.

However, we soon see that Adele’s ‘perfect’ life is all a facade. The chateau has a sinister past, and Adele’s shiny, glamorous naïveté is the perfect cover… It just goes to show, if something is too good to be true then it probably is!

The narrative pivots between Adele and her sister Erin, who is trying to contact her to inform her about their ailing mother. Their fractured relationship adds another layer to the story; they may just be the only people the other can trust, will they find each other again?

The unfriendly town and dark, sprawling grounds of the chateau become suffocating and terrifying in equal measure, to both Adele and Erin. The whole book is unsettling in the best way - I couldn’t stop turning the pages!

With the themes of dream versus reality and friendship versus obsession, The Escape highlights the duality of social media, and how just one post can change your life…

I understand the pull of stories about influencers but this book goes too far.

There is no need to have gone in to such joyful detail about atrocities but here we are.

The Escape is the story of two sisters, Erin and Adele.

Fed up with her life in the UK, Adele sets up a GoFundMe to ask her followers to support her wish for a new life, living in a luxurious chateau in rural France. She believes in manifesting what you want from life and has perfectly imagined her new life, with big parties in her imagined ballroom surrounded by friendly neighbours.

In amongst the hateful messages and personal attacks following her appeal for money, Adele is stunned to see a mysterious benefactor offering to bankroll her move entirely, with certain legal provisos. Adele and her boyfriend Jack make the move to France, vlogging their story and gaining more and more followers. Ruth Kelly has completely nailed the insta/ Tiktok influencer voice, the excerpts of Adele's vlogs are perfectly pitched.

Erin hasn't heard from her sister for a long time and refuses to watch her vlogs. When she tries to track down her sister and turns up at the chateau, she is surprised to find it almost abandoned, with no sign of Adele or Jack there. She turns to the local police and local neighbours to track her sister down but struggles to get any response, so turns to her own devices.

I am torn about this book, 50% enjoyed it, particularly Adele's social media sections. I was less keen on what Erin uncovered in the chateau and skimmed over some of the more graphic scenes.

So a 2.5 star rounded up to 3 from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I was sadly quite disappointed with this book. I didn’t really care for any of the characters, Adele was so frustratingly annoying, especially when vlogging and Jack had zero personality.

The book picked up a bit when it was Erin’s pov, the mystery was quite intriguing but I felt like it fell a bit flat.

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 its twists and turns 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.

The Escape is a contemporarily relevant psychological suspense that explores the darker side of social media and influencers, exposing the fragility and veiled dangers of living your life in the spotlight. It's an immersive and menacing story told from the viewpoints of sisters Adele and Erin, with social media elements interspersed into the narratives. I like the story's complexity, the underlying sense of darkness and the addictive pull of the mystery and its twists.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Escape by Ruth Kelly in return for my honest review. I found this book a bit predictable at times and the story line not very believable, but saying that it is an easy enjoyable read that I would recommend.

The Grander the home, The Darker the secrets.

Influencer Adele is struggling for content, she decides to start a crowdfunding to enable her and her husband to live her dream life in a French Chateaux. All her prayers are answered when a generous donation is made to allow her to start a new life but if something seems too good to be true it usually means trouble. Adele’s sister Erin arrives in France but finds an empty chateaux with no trace of her sister.

Quick and easy read, nice amount of suspense. For me it did take a little OTT twist and I really didn’t like Adele’s character. Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheEscape
#RuthKelly

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book
Ruth Kelly knocks it out of the park again
In this book. We are introduced to Adele and Jack, a couple who are facing some difficulties. after a quite embarrassing public appeal, they are gifted a chateau by a very wealthy person. However, in order to live at the chateau, there are certain rules they must abide by!
Erin, Adele’s sister, hasn’t heard from her sister and is worried about her. She sets off to France. But discovers secrets of her sisters and the town when trying to uncover the truth
The book is full of suspense and tension. I did have a few theories about what happened to Adele. One thing that really annoyed me was that Adele and Jack were silly enough to take the house. But I suppose some people will do anything!
I loved the narrative by the author. I really did feel like I was watching Adele vlogging. It felt so real!
The book takes a very dark turn, which I absolutely loved! Nothing better than a dark thriller
I stayed up to the early hours reading this book and it did not disappoint.
This is a great, gothic atmospheric read featuring a tight knit community full of secrets
I thoroughly enjoyed this one and looking forward to reading more by the author

When aspiring influencer Adele sets up a crowdfunder to buy her dream home, a chateau in France, she is amazed when a mysterious benefactor offers to buy it for her. It seems like the dream opportunity for Adele and partner Jack to build a new life and share it with her followers - and all seems to be going well until her vlogs suddenly stop. And when Adele’s sister Erin decides to travel to France, she is shocked to find an empty chateau - it soon be becomes clear that Adele’s apparent fairytale life may in fact be more of a nightmare ….

I read and very much enjoyed Kelly’s last book The Villa and whilst this is similar in its very current look at the complex world of social media and influencers and the darker side of it all, this took a turn I didn’t see coming and certainly kept me on my toes. The dual timelines work well as it moves between Erin’s search for her sister and Adele’s past, and the creepy setting in wintery France adds to the atmosphere as the tension builds in a story which takes a dark turn to create a page-turning read that I didn’t want to put down.

Well, how to start? By explaining the three stars I gave the book I think. Three stars because the author did a terrific job in describing a couple of very, very stupid and shallow people. And a group of very, very bad and ruthless people. The similarities here are the fact that the couple is almost worshipped in public for their stupidity and the group of bad people is equally worshipped but not in public. On the contrary.

What have we here: Adele, a young woman with an IQ smaller than her shoe size - and her lying and cheating friend Jack. They're together for eight years already and they fit perfectly because they both feel that they 'deserve' all kinds of things without ever having to lift a finger. I applaud the author for making up a character like Adele - although I believe there are many 'Adeles' in this world nowadays. I try and avoid the whole fake world where the Adeles of this world live in and I'm happy to say I usually succeed - I stick to reading book revies ;-).
Anyway, Adele has a sister, Erin, and when their mum is very ill and Adele doesn't respond to Erin's messages, she flies to France to try and talk sense in Adele (for as much as this is possible). We all know what happens then: Adele and Jack are nowhere to be found.

It turns out Adele stumbled over a big secret - there's a group of very bad people who organizes 'parties' that are not exactly a party for everyone involved. I say 'stumbled' because it's not she's actively looking for the cause of the strange things that happen around her 'dream castle'. And now Erin has to find her sister, and soon!

Phew! Three stars for the characters, especially Adele and Erin who are equally stupid but both in their own way. Erin I liked a little better but not much. I have no feelings at all about Jack because he's hardly in the story except where Adele gushes over his good looks and how great he is - and then turning and looking into his telephone because she doesn't trust him. Talking about trust! Secretly looking in your partners' telephone is an absolute 'no' in my world.

Enough said. I think there will be enough readers to like this book as much as I disliked the characters and the second half of the story. The first half is more or less ok.

Thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for this review copy.

The Escape by Ruth Kelly.
A Perfect Escape for Adele and Jack who are YouTube influencers. When Adele you tubes stops. Her sister Erin starts looking for her. Will she be able to find her?
I really enjoyed this book. I did like Adele and Erin. Twisty gripping and tense. Loved it. 5*.

Two sisters: Erin, the older sister who struggles to take care of their mother when she develops cancer, & has felt overshadowed by her younger sister for most of her life - always prettier, more successful, & more valued by her parents, whilst Erin is mired in resentment. Adele, younger sister who has always felt judged by her older sibling, longs to be able to reach out & tell her that things aren't as great as they seem, but it never seems the right time. Adele is a struggling influencer/vlogger but when she posts a crowdfunding video online to help finance a move to Chateau Bellay in France, she is shocked when a mysterious benefactor reaches out & offers to buy it & let Adele & boyfriend, Jack, move in. They just have to agree to a few stipulations.

Erin is furious that Adele up & left to France, leaving her to deal with their mother's illness, but when she takes a turn for the worst, Erin sets out to find Adele & bring her home. When she reaches Chateau Bellay, however, no=one is home. Breaking a window to get in, Erin finds that none of Adele or Jack's things are inside & the chateau itself feels strangely unwelcoming. Neither Adele or Jack have been seen since New Year's Eve, & the people in the local village seem reluctant to talk to Erin about them both. What happened to her sister?

The narrative was split into two: Erin for the present, & Adele for the recent past. The first half of the book was very good, with Adele soon finding out that life at the Chateau is not all she dreamed it would be, as the cracks in her relationship with Jack are magnified. The uneasy atmosphere & tension are ramped up with the reader anxious to find out what is going on. The second half became a little over the top in places & Erin turned into that most annoying of female character tropes where they go off to confront a suspect without telling anyone where they are going, & promptly get into trouble. Overall though it was a good read even if very dark in content. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

TWs: infidelity, sexual content, kidnapping, paedophilia, torture, murder, blood, death, stalking, terminal illness.

My thanks to NetGalley & publisher, Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I've chosen this book because of the cover and information on the back cover. It'll be out on the 7th of December and I received a copy from Pan Macmillan via Netgalley.

Influencer couple Adele and Jack post a crowdfunding video online, they’re amazed when a mysterious benefactor offers to buy them an idyllic 17th century French château. Except it is not as it seems. Something is off in the château. Adele's sister, Erin, travels to France to make sure Adele and Jack are alright. Now Erin has to unravel the mystery surrounding this disappearance.

I had some difficulty going through this book as it was really farfetched and a bit too much, to be honest. It's not that it's not written badly, on the contrary, it's just that it didn't appeal to me that much. The characters were not really that likable, the story was a bit over the top, and the general atmosphere of the story was a bit so so. All together, just a decent read.

3/5 ⭐

The Escape started quite strong. Adele is a struggling young woman who is trying to become famous on the internet with her vlog. In a moment of great stupidity she uploads a video in which she begs her followers to crowdfund her dream to by a castle in France. It’s an absolutely ridiculous idea which kickbacks immediately. But to everyone’s astonishment an anonymous philanthroper comes forward via their lawyer and offers to buy Adele the castle. But the contract comes with some strange rules. But Adele and her equally stupid husband Jack are blinded by the greedy idea to live of other people’s money don’t think to much about it. So in a hurry they move to France to live in a French chateau leaving behind Adele’s sister Erin and their terminal ill mother. Adele starts her new vlog describing to her rising group of followers her beautiful castle while Erin cares for their mother alone. When her health continues to decline Erin decides to travel to France and get Adele back to their dying mother.

When Erin arrives at the chateau Adele and Jack are nowhere to be found. The castle is empty, no sign of them. And in the village nobody seems to know anything about them. The atmosphere is creepy and there is a sense of something sinister lurking in the chateau. Until then the book was quite good. I liked the eerie setting. Adele being a self-centered and shallow character seems fitting. But it turns out Erin is as stupid as her sister. At that point the mysterious story unfolds and you get an idea what is going on. But somehow the storytelling went south.

SPOILER ALERT!



The whole idea of Adele and Jack as pawns for the rich and mysterious philanthropist is not very realistic. But Erin became the bigger problem for me to stay connected to the story. She turns into a kind of superwomen, gets hurt and concussed while fighting to find her estranged sister and fighting also against the corrupt French police. That does not keep her, as I said, hurt and concussed, to run and jump and fight, getting her sister from a cellar of a stalker and after their rescue almost immediately into her car and driving twelve hours home to England. Adele, being held captive and drugged for ten days, malnourished and dehydrated, just gets her ankle in a cask and off she goes in the car with Erin. Staying in a hospital after all of that? That’s only for weaklings. Erin has the annoying habit of storming off doing something stupid and realizing soon afterwards what a huge mistake that was. Telling somebody, f.e. her new friend with the local police and love interest that she goes looking into the cellar of someone who possible had something to do with her sister’s disappearance? No need for that Erin. Staying put in the car as your police friend begs you to because he can lose his job for taking you to the side where bodies are found (he should have definitely not taking her there)? Nonsense, just jump out and run all over the crime scenes and make a spectacle out of yourself. I almost got a concussion myself shaking my head so violently because of these hilarious situations. And there are a lot more of them.

So the first half was absolutely fine, entertaining and a bit creepy, as I like it. But the storytelling, the stupid characters and simply the unrealistic way of developing the story further on did not work for me.

A very original, twisty thriller that will bring you to some very dark places. Disturbing at times, gripping and atmospheric.
Nothing is what it seems and a lot of secretes. Sex, lies, obsession.
The author delivers and this story kept me hooked
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

better than the first!!! ruth kelly is fantastic and i am obsessed with her writing. i read this is under 24 hours and i already need more!!

At first this book had me hooked, I loved the style and the switching between the blog and Erin’s narrative.

It was obvious the chateau was too good to be true but u was not expecting the sordid secret that was uncovered.

There is a twist towards the end that was interesting but not explosive.

I would have liked more focus on the relationship between Adele and Erin.

3.5 stars

Woweeeeee!! Ruth Kelly has just shot to the instant auto buy list. This book is brilliant and quite possibly my new favourite (although I still love The Villa).

As soon I saw this announced I knew I had to slide into the lovely Chloe’s emails and I was lucky enough to get a spot on the tour for this one. This book has been completely worth the wait.

The Escape has delivered on every level and been a book which I have been instantly pulled into. I then became completely unwilling to put this down. This has resulted in me devouring this gem in one afternoon sitting. My only regret, I can’t experience this as a first read all over again.

This is Kelly’s second book and another brilliant book. This time we are whisked off to France after a mystery donor buys a chateau for influencer Adele and her partner Jack. However, this does come with some terms and conditions. These have been nothing like I expected.

This truly is a book which is addictive and electrifying. Kelly has created a plot which has been perfectly paced, unforgettable and completely impossible to predict. I thought I’d figured it out a few times then BANG, Kelly would throw something in to completely pull the rug from under me.

This is a gem from a highly talented author. The best way I can describe it, Kelly will invite you in (imagine a dinner party) but then you will be held hostage until you’ve savoured every last moment. Only then will you be able to stop thinking about this one. A sign of a really great author.

There is absolutely nothing I can say about this one. Kelly has created a gem and this follows a brilliant debut novel. The Escape is a book worthy of all the praise and I definitely cannot wait to see what is coming next from this author.

This is a must read and a book I will be recommending to everyone who will listen (and I’ll try with those who don’t).