Greenwich Park
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Pub Date 15 Apr 2021 | Archive Date 15 Apr 2021
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) | Raven Books
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Description
'The perfect thriller' CAZ FREAR
'A fantastically addictive read' ABIGAIL DEAN
'Razor-sharp ... I raced through it' HARRIET TYCE
'Deliciously dark and deftly plotted' LESLEY KARA
'Meticulously crafted and deeply satisfying' CHARLOTTE PHILBY
A book to watch out for in 2021 as selected by the i, Daily Mail, Grazia, Culture Fly and her.ie.
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Helen has it all...
Daniel is the perfect husband.
Rory is the perfect brother.
Serena is the perfect sister-in-law.
And Rachel? Rachel is the perfect nightmare.
When Helen, finally pregnant after years of tragedy, attends her first antenatal class, she is expecting her loving architect husband to arrive soon after, along with her confident, charming brother Rory and his pregnant wife, the effortlessly beautiful Serena. What she is not expecting is Rachel.
Extroverted, brash, unsettling single mother-to-be Rachel, who just wants to be Helen's friend. Who just wants to get know Helen and her friends and her family. Who just wants to know everything about them. Every little secret.
*AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW*
Advance Praise
'Deliciously dark and deftly plotted. Faulkner mines the seam of guilt beneath her characters' "perfect" lives with devastating precision'
Lesley Kara
'Meticulously crafted and deeply satisfying, Greenwich Park has all the hallmarks of a first-class psychological thriller. I read it in two sittings and was left smiling sardonically at the final line'
Charlotte Philby
'Brilliantly twisty and full of excellently observed - if chilling - characters, Greenwich Park is a clever and knowing delve into the female psyche as well as a classic, pacy mystery. Atmospheric, aspirational and addictive!'
Harriet Walker
'One of the best debuts I've read in a long time... Intelligently plotted, with several completely unexpected gut-punches along the way, Greenwich Park is both a psychologically complex and hugely entertaining novel - in short, the perfect thriller'
Caz Frear
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781526626325 |
| PRICE | £12.99 (GBP) |
Average rating from 391 members
Featured Reviews
This was an amazing thriller that kept me on my toes the whole time. The author’s depiction of the characters was spot on and the plot had me breathless! A great read!
I found this a very dark read, you never know what is around the corner. It is full of twists and the characters are all believable, but what really happened to Rachel, I read it in a sitting, I just couldn't not. I feel as though this book is going to be a huge hit. A psychological thriller at it's best. The ending was sublime.
My thoughts about this brilliantly written, gripping debut thriller, was just mindblowing. Debut Author Katherine Faulkner, not only writes a fantastic nail biting story, but the characters she has written is truly amazing. Katherine Faulkner’s Greenwich Park, reveals dark secrets, that will blow you away. What I liked about the story was, when lead character Helen, who is a wife,a mother to be, and sister, meets her worst nightmare Rachel, was fantastic, who is the character. Rachel wants to know everything about Helen’s life, was excellent, Author Katherine Faulkner does a great job with its story and characters that keeps you guessing what will happen next, bravo what a debut. A fast moving thriller, that reveals dark secrets, that will blow you away. Highly Recommended. I would like to say thank you to Author Katherine Faulkner, Publisher’s Raven Books, and netgalley, for giving me a chance to read and review, this outstanding debut thriller, that reveals dark secrets and real motivations,obsession that takes you on a rollocoster ride. 💥💥💥💥💥⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Saffy Y, Reviewer
Greenwich Park is Katherine Faulkner's much anticipated debut novel. It focuses on three siblings and their partners, told primarily, from the point of view of Helen who meets Rachel at an ante natal class. Rachel insinuates herself into the lives of wealthy but lonely Helen and her family and friends. This is a very superior psychological thriller, beautifully written, perfectly plotted, twisty, well paced and with excellent characterisation. I loved it and would highly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.
Michaela J, Reviewer
This was a bit of a slow burner which suddenly when woosh! The book is written from the points of view of Helen, Selena and Katie. It follows Helen's pregnancy and the associated events. It starts with Helen attending her local NCT class and is annoyed that her husband and sister-in-law(who is also pregnant) haven't turned up. Whilst there she meets a single mother to be called Rachel. From that point forward Rachel seems to be everywhere that she is and wheedles her way into Helen's life.
This is cleverly written in that the reader is given several clues which lead one way, but the truth is in another direction.
A very good read, especially for a debut.
Janet R, Reviewer
From the outside their lives are perfect. Helen Is married to Daniel. Her brother Rory is married to Siena. They meet at university and have a great time. Life moves on and now both the women are pregnant. They live close to each other in an upmarket neighbourhood and the men work together. Helen idolises Siena and is always trying to emulate her. Self esteem is low and having had miscarriages she is emotionally vulnerable. At her first ante natal class she meets the rather loud and uncouth Rachel. Rachel persists in becoming her friend even though the lonely Helen isn't to sure about it. It culminates in Rachel moving in for a couple of weeks after she had a violent altercation and is scared. The reader of this fast paced novel is under no illusion that she is after something but what? Helen starts unravelling parts of the mystery though it isn't what she expects.
This is a fabulous debut from Katherine Faulkner. I quickly became hooked on the story and interested to read how it would all resolve. The story of two couples - Helen and Daniel, and Rory and Serena, and the mysterious girl, Rachel, who becomes entangled in their lives, there are enough plot twists to keep it interesting right until the very last page. Just when you think you've solved it, another curved ball is thrown in! I highly recommend that you read this - and don't rush it.
I think this will be one of the top books of 2021.
Moe G, Reviewer
This is the BEST thriller I’ve read in years. So many characters entwined with each other and you’re never sure how it’s going to end.
The main characters are full of depth and believable so you sympathise and blame as the story goes on
Annette F, Reviewer
This is a book you can't put down. Half way through I thought I had predicted the ending but no - the surprises kept on happening. My only quibble is that I am not keen on explanations given in letter form. The last chapter was very clever.
An excellent suspenseful story that keeps you locked in throughout. This story is told though the eyes of three of the main characters - Helen, Serena and Katie. Helen is married to Daniel, and one of Helen's brothers, Rory, is married to Serena whilst the other brother, Charlie, is in a relationship with Katie. The plot is good and the characters are strong. Helen meets Rachel, who is very extrovert and a bit sinister and she appears to have an unhealthy desire to become overly familiar with Helen and the other main characters in the story. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for my advanced copy.
this book made me want to shout out loud at the characters for not seeing that Rachel was beyond creepy!
A brilliant dark and twisted thriller, Greenwich park starts off fairly sedately with some good character introductions and a hint at their backstories and friendly interactions and then suddenly the pace rockets and both the characters and the story take off at a tremendous rate.
Edge of the seat stuff and an amazing debut- I look forward to more from Katherine in the hopefully not too distat future.
Kate R, Reviewer
Wow! This book is so full of cunning characters and twists, it’s a really wonderful read! As soon as I’d finished this I immediately checked if the author had written any other books; if they had I’d have bought them straight away! I was hooked right from the first page to the last, and I loved the ending!
Reviewer 268853
Loved this from the very start..... couldn't put it down- absolutely gripping.
All seems pretty normal to start with Helen who is pregnant goes along to her local ante natal class, Daniel her husband doesn't make it, neither does her brother and sister in law... there she meets and reluctantly befriends Rachel....and the story rolls from there....lots of chance meetings with Rachel, then Rachel turning up at Helen and Daniels house and from there, there is a roller coaster ride of intrigue, secrets and tension! A really great read..lots of suspense and you won't be disappointed with the conclusion. A deftly woven tale....a great debut novel. Will be looking forward to Katherine Faulkner's next offering.
Frances H, Reviewer
This is Katherine Faulkner’s first book, and the story drew me in from the very first page. Helen seems to have the perfect life, with a hard-working, successful husband, great lifestyle and good friends. However, when she meets Rachel at her anti-natal class, she begins to invade her life, and seems to be everywhere. This is a gripping story and as it unfolds, you know you are in for a thrilling read.
It soon becomes obvious that Rachael is not all she seems; she doesn’t fit in with Helen’s lifestyle, has an uncaring attitude, and seems to anticipate her every move. Daniel (Helen’s husband) is obsessed with working long hours and re-modelling their home. But you begin to wonder whether he has secrets.
There are no chapters in the book, passages are marked with dates as Helen’s pregnancy progresses. Viewpoints are given from several characters’ perspectives, which gives a more rounded picture. Is Helen all she seems to be? Are Daniel, Charlie or Rory (Helen’s brothers) hiding secrets? All these elements combine to make an absorbing well plotted thriller, with enough twists and turns to keep you interested. The story is a gripping roller-coaster ride especially as it comes to its unexpected ending. You didn’t see that coming.
Highly recommended, I can’t wait to read Katherine Faulkner’s next book.
I really wasn't sure if I would like this book when I first started reading it. It is very dark and you have to virtually wade through the building tension as the story unfolds. By the end I thought it was excellent and I can say that the author pulls off an unusual and intriguing tale. It is amazing to think this is a debut novel. It is accomplished and classy.
Thank you to the author, her publishers and @NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Greenwich Park. I am looking forward to seeing what Katherine Faulkner writes next.
You won't be able to put this book down, at least I wasn't. Set in London, the story is centered around two families, Helen and her husband, Daniel, and Helen's brother and his wife, Serena. Both women are pregnant, and these families seem to live the perfect life with their perfect houses in Greenwich, London. Then there is Charlie, the youngest brother of Helen and Rory, and his girlfriend Katie, a journalist.
Then Rachel comes into the picture, who seems to have nothing in common with Helen, but despite this they see each other often, after first meeting at an antenatal class.
And then secrets start to surface, something happened when all 4 of them were at University in Cambridge, but exactly what? And why does Rachel seem obsessed with Helen? Will Katie find out exactly what happened?
A must ready.
Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury for my ARC in exchange of a honest review.
This book is full of intrigue and mystery. I enjoyed it immensely and I think the average reader will as well. The perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day.
Marika C, Media/Journalist
This was my first read of 2021 and what a way to start. I love to discover a new author and the blurb for this book really appealed to me. Just the name drew me in originally having lived just outside Greenwich when I was doing my degree 20 years ago. I loved all the references to the park, the pubs, the market etc as it reminded me of some great years of my life.
Helen is expecting her first child with husband Daniel after years of trying to have a sucessful pregnancy. Even better her sister in law and brother are expecting at the same time. The four have grown up so so closely since all all meeting at university so this is sure to be a brilliant period of their lives. Enter Rachel, who Helen meets at her first antenatal class. She is expecting her first baby alone and latches onto Helen from the first day. Sonn Rachel is appearing everywhere and her story doesn't quite add up. I read this book in three days and was totally gripped. Just brilliant. Five stars all the way from me.
Gill D, Media/Journalist
Thanks netgalley and Katherine Faulkner for this great read.
On starting this book I thought it was not going to be good, but I was wrong.
A family with secrets,
Secrets and lies prove in this book they catch up with you eventually, even after fifteen years.
Yes great read, look forward to another book by this author.
Claire D, Reviewer
When Helen is forced to take early maternity leave due to previous pregnancy complications she finds herself feeling lost and lonely as all her friends are busy with work and life. She decides to attend a local NCT class but when her brother and his pregnant wife do not arrive or her husband she's left feeling vulnerable and alone. The only other alone pregnant woman is Rachel, loud and brash and not her usual type of person at all. Rachel then seems to be everywhere when Helen is out shopping, reading in the park or catching up with friends. Is it really a coincidence that they keep randomly bumping into each other? It's not long before Rachel is involved in Helen and her siblings lives.
I read this book in one sitting as it was really pacy and intense. There were times when I found Helen annoying for being so apathetic but she was a great character and it helped move the story along that she was so trusting. I loved that the setting was local to where I live so the descriptions were very familiar and made it all the more creepy. A fantastic edge of the seat read. There were times when I doubted all of the characters within the novel, there were lots of unexpected twists and turns throughout.
Thank you to netgalley for a preview copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Well crafted, thoroughly enjoyable psychological thriller, that kept me reading into the night.
Helen meets Rachel at antenatal classes. It soon becomes clear that Rachel has targetted Helen and her close family - but why? Is it their money/lifestyle, their family business that she is after? Is she really pregnant? How did Helen's parents die?
Well written and highly recommended. I look forward to reading more from Katherine Faulkner.
Such a clever, brilliant and twisty thriller. So engrossing. It also made me very nostalgic for beautiful Greenwich.
This debut novel by Katherine Faulkner may be set in Greenwich, a very distinct part of London, but its characters are drawn so convincingly that you may recognise traits of people you are familiar with. Chapters alternate between the perspectives of six characters, which could be rather confusing, were it not for Faulkner’s superior writing talents and the fact that you quickly find out the six characters are related: Helen is married to Daniel, her brothers are Charlie and Rory, and Serena and Kate are her brothers’ partners. Helen and Serena are both expecting, but their impeccable, aspirational lives are thrown into disarray when another pregnant woman called Rachel inveigles herself into kind, vulnerable Helen’s life. This arrival sets in chain a motion of events and disclosures that Katie, who is a journalist, tries to investigate. It would be easy to focus only on the superb characterisations and many twists and turns but a big starring part in this novel also goes to Greenwich Park, which Faulkner evokes beautifully. An amazing debut from a new writer to watch out for – I cannot wait to see what Faulkner writes next. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for this honest and unbiased review.
Educator 281599
I loved Greenwich Park, I was so desperate to find out what was happening that I devoured it in one go. Mainly we follow Helen who is heavily pregnant, but we also see the story progressing through the other characters eyes. When Helen makes a new friend while at her antenatal classes, why does she then see her wherever she goes, and when she turns up at Helens door in need of a place to stay, Why does Helen feel like things aren’t right? This was such a good read!
Reviewer 753132
I enjoy reading thrillers about women with so-called 'perfect' lives and this one certainly didn't disappoint. Helen is the pregnant woman who seemingly has it all. Rachel is the woman at the ante-natal class who wants to be Helen's friend - but why?? This book exposes dark secrets and has lots of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.
Lynne P, Reviewer
I’d seen so many great reviews about this book I couldn’t wait to read it for myself and I wasn’t disappointed. This book really does deserve all the great reviews. This book is a brilliant and assured debut novel. The story hooks you in from the very beginning as it starts with the afterwards and gets you intrigued with the who, when, why, what? It really is the perfect psychological thriller that keeps you hooked right to the last page. The story is perfectly paced and gradually reveals itself with little glimpses so one minute you think you know what’s going on but then you turn the page and you realise that maybe you don’t know as much as you thought you did...
Simon F, Reviewer
A fantastic debut thriller.
This story rewards the reader for paying attention, definitely one where as soon as you've finished you want to start again armed with the knowledge to see what clues you missed first time around.
It was a satisfying conclusion with all the loose threads accounted for and the last sentence had me punching the air in delight.
This book would be perfect for a Netflix limited series.
I saw Katherine Faulkner discuss this book on the virtual Bloomsbury Big Night In and wanted to read it straight away so I was delighted when I was approved for an ARC. It definitely didn't disappoint and lived up to all of my high expectations!
The main character Helen is finally pregnant after a series of miscarriages and so is understandably anxious. She relies a lot on support from her husband and family and plans to attend antenatal classes with her sister-in-law Serena who is also pregnant. When Serena and her husband Rory don't show up, Helen is forced to interact with others in the group and Rachel quickly latches on to her. From the start you know there is something suspicious about Rachel (after the first class, she goades Helen into having a glass of wine) and this tension slowly builds when Rachel starts turning up in unexpected places.
It was a really tense thriller with lots of unexplained and dramatic events as the threads of the plot are slowly woven together. Helen narrates most of the chapters (these are the ones I enjoyed the most) but the other characters also take turns to be the focus and you realise that there is something sinister going on - the plot becomes far more complex and interwoven than it initially seems.
The atmosphere was incredibly claustrophobic and this lent itself to an excellent thriller. Helen was a really well created character and her feelings and actions were very believable.
A tense and dramatic family thriller!
Reviewer 706075
This is a twisty thriller that has feminist issues at its core.
A group of friends that are drawn together by three, wealthy, charismatic and privileged siblings that live on the *right side* of Greenwich Park, are navigating work, life and the approach of parenthood, as two of their number are heavily pregnant. In walks a single woman, a pregnant single woman, who throws a spanner in the works of their seemingly perfect lives. Slowly the varnish starts to crack and as the sheen fades secrets are revealed and with it, grave danger for all concerned.
With beautifully drawn, complex characters, brilliant plotting that keeps you guessing and thought provoking questions posed about motherhood, mental health, rape prosecution, media and privilege this book packs more of a punch than your average page turner and I hope it gets the huge readership it deserves.
For the first time in my life, I have sat and read all day long! That’s how good this book is! It’s a slow burner! I spent the first 20% of the book, thinking.........shall I give it up! To be fair, I say that quite often about books, I much prefer to be sucked in from the first page! The start of the book introduces you to Helen, who is married to Daniel, and Serena, who is married to Helen’s brother Rory. Rory and Daniel are in business with one another and Helen and Serena are both pregnant with their first babies. Rachel comes into the story when the four prospective parents are supposed to be starting ante-natal classes but poor Helen is the only one of the four who turns up. She ends up sitting with Rachel who is also pregnant and somehow they get to be ........sort of.......friends.
Helen is strange girl, lacking confidence, lacking friends and even though she truly doesn’t like anything about Rachel - they are after all polar opposites. Helen has a privileged upbringing and lives in a beautiful house which she inherited from her parents and Rachel is a bit ...........let’s just say less privileged. That initial part of the book bored me to tears and made me quite cross with Helen as she behaved like a doormat. But keep with it.....because all of a sudden you will be hooked - as I was!
The story is told from the viewpoints of Helen, Serena and Katie (the girlfriend of Helen and Serena’s husband Rory’s brother!). I find the labelling of the chapters with the narrator’s name a great help! The book suddenly, for me, picked up pace and I started to really get involved! I didn’t actually like most of the characters, the only one I warmed to at all was Katie, who is an investigative journalist and had a lovely warmth to her and the partly retired detective - he was ok. . The others I just didn’t like.
It’s a clever, twisty, turning plot that although I had guessed by the end, still kept me page turning - I literally couldn’t put it down! All credit to Katherine Faulkner. I didn’t always enjoy the style of writing, sometimes a little stilted......lots of short sentences gave it a staccato type of feel but that’s a small criticism for an amazing book! Well done!
My thanks, as always, to the author, the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review! .
Wow, what a book! I loved it.
This is fantastically written and I was hooked from page 1. It’s dark with plenty of twists of turns to keep me guessing.
It’s one of my favourites this year and worthy of 5 stars.
A fantastic, twisty read. This book was very difficult to put down, as I just needed to know what was going to happen next.
The characters of Helen, Serena and Rachel were very well drawn and Rachel, as a 'cuckoo' type, who invades into Helen's life, was particularly intriguing.
A great read and recommended.
Tilly L, Reviewer
Gripping and relatable
This debut is a well written, entertaining, pacey psychological thriller. Greenwich Park is told from the viewpoint of three women—Helen, Katie, a childhood friend, and Serena, her sister- in-law. Helen is expecting a baby after suffering four miscarriages and she’s upset that her husband Daniel is too busy to attend antenatal classes. Helen goes by herself and there she meets the enigmatic mother-to-be Rachel, also on her own.
After that Helen keeps running into Rachel and soon enough she’s living in Helen’s house, much to Daniel’s chagrin. Helen becomes increasingly annoyed with Rachel and then suspicious, but Helen also feels isolated. Daniel, Katie and Serena never seem to have time for her.
It becomes increasingly clear that Rachel has a lot to hide. But it isn't until an ill-advised Guy Fawkes party that Helen realises there’s something deeply disturbing about Rachel. And later it turns out that Daniel has secrets of his own.
A subplot involves an historic rape case, which strongly hints at being a key element to unlocking the mystery.
The characters are believable. I rooted for Helen but sometimes I just wanted her to man up and stop acting like a victim.
I read Greenwich Park all in one sitting. Sure, like in most thrillers, there were some loose ends and a few details that I thought were far-fetched. Still I found the ending satisfying and plausible (for a thriller). I’ve already recommended it to friends.
It had been a while since I picked up a thriller and after joining in #BloomsburysNightIn and hearing Katherine Faulkner speak about her book, I felt so grateful to receive an ARC from Netgalley.
[please research trigger warnings but main ones are rape, assault, miscarriage and suicide]
I absolutely devoured this book in less than 48 hours. I was hooked from the first chapter, needing to know who Helen was. Told from mainly Helen’s POV, with some interspersing POV’s of other characters, you get a real feel for who Helen is. Her life is perfect - beautiful home, loving husband and a baby on the way. It’s her dream come true. But what Helen doesn’t expect is to meet Rachel. Who is this Rachel?
Well Faulkner has written a gripping thriller. Some may say it follows a typical cliche thriller but it’s just so much more. I loved loved loved this book. The plot was so good. I thought I’d figured it all out and then bam, another twist. Phewwww - it was a rollercoaster.
The bite told from other people’s POV add suspense and make you question what is really going on with Helen and Rachel.
It becomes clear why everything is happening but you are left until the end almost to put the story together.
There is a slight plot fault in one of the chapters but I reached out to the publisher directly about this. It may be my reading of it.
Apart from that, I cannot fault this book. I loved every page, every twist, every character. All of it was so clearly thought out and it was just what I needed. Faulkner’s writing style is easy to read and grips you.
I’d highly recommend this to everyone who loves a thriller.
Educator 426564
This is an excellent book. It is told from several viewpoints but mainly Helen. She is finally pregnant after several miscarriages and is quite a vulnerable person. She meets Rachel at an antenatal class and things start to go wrong. What is Rachel after? What is the link to past events? It is hard to say more without giving the plot away. I found the characters believable. Some of them were very sympathetic, others distasteful. The ending was very satisfying. I read this in two sittings as I needed to find out what happened. It’s unsettling to read but well worth it. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Brilliantly twisty tale of pregnancy, court reporting, hidden secrets and infidelity with a clever and unexpected ending. Very smart writing, highly recommend.
Tracey J, Reviewer
Wow, I could NOT put this down. Fast, pacy, with so many twists and turns you won't know which way is up. Gripping.
Cat B, Reviewer
I read this book within a couple of days and it did not disappoint! The suspense was killing me and I wanted to finish it as soon as possible.
It’s well written and highly addictive and although I had an indication as to what may happen (sometimes I was right and sometimes I was wrong) it really kept me guessing until the end, which is what I look for in this genre of books.
Great book from this author and I would highly recommend to anyone looking for an exciting new thriller to get into!
This book had echoes of another book I read which I adored. Thinking of the thin veneers of life and how you present yourself is not who you are. Do you ever know anyone Adored it.
A deeply dark and disturbing thriller. This book had me hooked from the start and I could not put it down! The twists just kept coming and what an ending. A must read!
Morag D, Reviewer
I was very keen to read this title and was delighted to get an ARC copy.
This follows the story of Helen, who is finally in the latter stages of a viable pregnancy after four losses. We meet her family, her husband, Daniel, her older brother, Rory and his wife, Serena. Helen thinks they are all wonderful, but it is clear from the start that none of these people are very nice at all.
Helen meets the larger than life Rachel at an antenatal class. Rachel is very keen to be Helen’s friend and they bump into each other frequently. Rachel inserts herself into Helen’s life and becomes a regular fixture in her social life. Helen is reluctant to be Rachel’s friend from the start, but she’s too nice to say no when Rachel engineers meetings.
Helen’s younger brother Charlie and his girlfriend Katie make up the family. Katie is a good friend of Helen’s from when they were all friends as children. She is a journalist, who is following a high profile court case where two popular and successful young men are accused of rape.. Through Katie’s coverage of the court case we also meet DCI Carter, who is a genuinely good guy.
I really enjoyed this book and I was intrigued to get to the end. I distrusted almost all the characters from the start. As the story unfolded, hints are given as to what is going on, the reader can begin to unravel how everything, and everyone, fit into the story; the reveals weren’t shocking, they were more satisfying.
The plot got more and more exciting and unputdownable as it progressed. I stayed awake reading the second half of it in one sitting. I was pleased by the ending, it tied things up satisfactorily. I particularly liked that the women in this book were very strong characters. Katie is awesome, I loved her.
I would very much recommend this book and I will be keenly looking out for subsequent novels by Katherine Faulkner.
Greenwich Park will be published on 1 April 2021.
Charlene W, Reviewer
Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on net galley. This is a debut that was high on my radar not only because its called after one of my favourite places.
This is a incredible thriller that I can see will be a huge success. It is fresh and slick and In the style of many other fantastic women thriller writers. Such as Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish.
You become connected to the characters and invested in the storyline pretty quickly.Written in alternate narratives and timeliness.
Unpredictable and cleverly written and plotted. I love Greenwich and in particular Greenwich Park so I could evoke being there just by her words. I definitely picked up TV vibes from this .
A highly intoxicating portrayl of friendship ,family and relationships.
I absolutely loved reading this and can’t wait for more from this author.
Published April 15gh in hardback and slightly earlier in e book…hit that preorder button for one of 2021 best thrillers
Angela G, Reviewer
An excellent book that kept me turning the pages desperate to see what was going on.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Helen has led a fairly sheltered middle class life; she lives with husband Daniel in a beautiful house, inherited from her parents, on the edge of Greenwich Park, and is pregnant with their first child. It hasn't all been plain sailing, though - a history of pregnancy loss and family tragedy have left her vulnerable. She hero worships sister-in-law Serena, who in turn seems to regard her with something close to contempt.
Loud, unpredictable Rachel, who Helen meets at an antenatal class, seems like a different sort of person entirely, but Rachel somehow inserts herself into Helen's life with alarming consequences.
Greenwich Park is the definition of an addictive read, told from the viewpoints of Helen primarily but also sister-in-law Serena and Katie, a journalist who is closely connected to the family. (I liked Katie a lot - and given that the author's name is Katherine and she is also a journalist, I can't help wondering if one is a bit of a representation of the other!)
While we never hear Rachel's point of view directly, she is a pretty compelling figure, as you're never sure quite what she's up to and how dangerous she might or might not be. I could see how Helen, a bit of an oddball who doesn't have a gift for making friends, was drawn slightly unwillingly into her orbit. Of course, all is not quite how it seems.
Interspersed throughout the narrative are sections taking place in the park, which were pretty incomprehensible to me at the time but made perfect sense by the end.
Greenwich Park is an excellent psychological thriller and a very impressive debut novel. And the ending, as others have commented, is both perfect and perfectly executed.
I really enjoyed this book! I had to make myself slow down whilst reading it to focus on any little clues given about the story! That helped me figure out a couple of things but there was so many twists I didn’t see coming at all!
Eli W, Educator
This is quite a complex and well plotted suspense novel. Katherine Faulkner employs a number of narrators which allow the story to be told from different perspectives, although all is not always as it seems. The plot hinges around repercussions from an event that happened way back in the characters' pasts. Some of the solution, I was able to predict fairly early on but there are numerous small twists that make the final pages a surprise and which add to the reader's enjoyment.. The characters and events are convincingly described and you find yourself eager to learn the truth behind each character's actions, making the novel a real page turner. All in all a very enjoyable read which I would recommend to readers who enjoy authors such as Lisa Jewell or Rachel Abbott. I look forward to reading other books from this author.
Wow!! A rollercoaster read from start to finish, the book starts with someone writing from prison but we don't know who.
Helen and her sister in law are pregnant, Helen tunes up to ante natal alone to find herself befriended by Rachel. But Rachel is not all she seeks, she weaves her way into Helen and her husband Daniels life, but why!! Lots of references to the past allude to it all being connected but we are left guessing who is to blame right until the very last page
Christina M, Reviewer
This story is told by three of the characters, Helen, Serena and Katie.
When Helen meets Rachel at an antenatal class, she has no idea what is going to happen. Suddenly everywhere she goes Rachel is there.
Then Rachel turns up at the house beaten and bruised and asks if she can say. How can she turn her away even though her husband doesn’t seem sympathetic but he is preoccupied with the company he runs with Helens brother Rory, Serena’s husband.
Things go missing and Rachel is the main suspect, then she disappears. Who was she, where is she.
#Greenwich Park #Katherine Faulkner #Netgalley
Michelle R, Reviewer
Wow! What a debut! Greenwich Park is a very impressive debut from Katherine Faulkner; the writing is so accomplished that I actually had to double check that it was her debut novel. With secrets, lies and twists galore this is one very addictive thriller that gets under your skin and gestates into a perfect book baby.
After several miscarriages, Helen is pregnant again and the chapters count the weeks of her pregnancy. I loved this touch; it was both hopeful that the pregnancy would go to term and also suspenseful that something terrible would happen. You just know that this story is going to end in tears but with a conclusion as breathtaking and explosive as the fireworks at Helen's bonfire party, I could never have guessed the outcome.
I really felt sorry for Helen; she is hoping to attend antenatal class with her husband, brother and pregnant sister-in-law but none of them turn up. Helen makes friends with Rachel, a single mother-to-be at the class and they seems to bump into each other wherever Helen goes. Coincidence? I think not! Helen is too polite to rebuff Rachel and she is inevitably drawn into Rachel's web like the spider and the fly. What is Rachel's game and why does she seem so intent on invading Helen's life? That's quite a hook!
This dark, addictive and mesmerising novel had me completely enthralled from start to finish. Nothing is as it seems once you scratch the surface of these apparently perfect lives and Rachel isn't the only spider in this stunning web of intrigue and lies. If this is the quality of her debut, I can't wait to see what Katherine Faulkner writes next. Greenwich Park is completely unmissable and highly recommended.
I chose to read an ARC provided from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Linda S, Reviewer
Wow what an amazing book ,the best I’ve read in a long time . Very well written with great characters . Lots of twists and turns and all the unanswered questions made clear at the end . Loved the end twist too wasn’t expecting that . I will be reading more from this author in future. Brilliant