Very good read! Kept me wanting to read more from the beginning. I look forward to more books by this author !! Five stars!!

I always enjoy a good psychological thriller and this did not disappoint. Following Helena through not only her professional but personal turmoil and fall out was a fascinating perspective. I enjoyed how you could almost look back and see her spiraling more and more. I particularly appreciated how the twists kept coming till the very last pages. I enjoyed the flashback elements although sometimes I got a little confused as I'd overlooked the jump in timeline. These were a great way to build up a picture of effectively what started it all though. I wish we'd got to see more of Tala, she was a really interesting character who didn't get enough page time in the current timeline. I'd love to see the whole story and writing the bestseller from her perspective. Dylan and Julias were well written and it was very clever how the two aspects of abusive relationships were portrayed, one obvious and arguably what most people would imagine with a controlling relationship, what much quieter and more psychological.
Overall a very enjoyable read that I couldn't stop turning the page on! I can't wait to read more by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mountain Leopard Press for an ARC of this book.

Wow let’s take a minute and a breath to gather ourselves and then do some applauding because what brilliant kind of read was that?!. I loved this debut book it was phenomenal!

It really blew me off my chair, and I had to keep reading until the last page was turned! This book had me captivated from the very first heart-pounding chapter it was a roller-coaster ride my heart was racing absolutely amazing!

Jenny Knightsby has hit this one of the park! I hope everyone is prepared for an all-nighter! I’d highly recommend this book everyone needs to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Bestseller

by Jenny Knightsby

This was such a clever, tense debut. The idea alone; a therapist shares a client's secrets and her best friend turns it into a hit novel is full of drama. It's fast, twisty, and packed with that "uh-oh, this is going to end badly" feeling. I loved how messy and human the friendships felt, and the moral dilemmas really keep you hooked. I can't wait to grab a physical copy!

Secrets were never meant to be published…

When a therapist’s confidential sessions become the inspiration for a record-breaking novel, you just know the fallout is going to be messy and I was hooked!!!

This one gave me tension, moral chaos and that slow creeping dread I live for in a psychological thriller.

Friendship. Betrayal. It had it all!! I absolutely loved it

Psychologist Helena Salve understands that patient privacy is essential. But when Belle Averell starts to confess her secret thoughts, things change and Helena becomes obsessed with Belle and her life with her husband Julius. Did he make her eat soap because it smelled like fruit? Does he follow her, make her wear his favorite perfume? Is he abusive? One night, after a few too many glasses of wine, Helena shares some Belle confessions with her best friend Tala. Tala is a crime writer and when her next book is published, it becomes an automatic bestseller. What is it about? A thinly veiled novel about Belle and Julius - with different names, of course. Helena is horrified. Will they read the book and recognize themselves? Will this be career ending for her? Will Julius retaliate?

This theme alone would make The Bestseller a compelling read - and it does. However, there is another story hidden under the pages. It’s a dark and disturbing one that unravels slowly as Helena begins to understand that Belle is not the only one with buried secrets.

It is hard to believe that this unsettling psychological thriller is a first novel. Jenny Knightsby, whatever you write next, I will read. Put The Bestseller on the top of your TBR list now! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline and Jenny Knightsby for this ARC.

This is a powerful, thought-provoking story that lingered in my mind long after I finished it. It raises unsettling questions:
Who can we truly trust?
Do we really know the people closest to us?
Are we seeing reality, or only what we want to see?

The plot is gripping and immersive, pulling me in from the very first page. The characters feel deeply human, flawed, and real, which made it easy to connect with them. Their struggles reflect real-life issues, and that realism added emotional weight to the story. My favorite moments were when Helena finally began to piece everything together and, especially, the final revelation, which was both shocking and satisfying.

Please note that the book includes mentions of abuse, which may be triggering for some readers.

Overall, this would be an excellent pick for a book club, as it invites discussion and reflection. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that explore trust, betrayal, and moral boundaries, I highly recommend The Bestseller.

Blown away that this book was so good. It pulled a Freida McFadden in that it was throwing all kinds of misdirection (or so I thought) the entire time. The ending was a complete 180, and everything stacked up until I wasn't sure what I was more horrified by. The story is told mostly from Helena's current POV, and I disliked her a healthy amount. I think that might have been the intent because she was judgy, self-centered, borderline delusional with her savior complex, and you could see the cracks but it was hard to figure out her affect until the end. I felt something about all of the characters and that's always huge for me, having the author make me care. Total thriller vibes, well written, first chapter is gripping.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-read ARC. It has been a while since I have read a psychological thriller but this one kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I had an inkling of where the climax of this book would go but I was completely surprised by the twists and turns and the ending. The friendship between Tala and Helena kept the story relatable while the tension between Tala and Helena’s husband had you questioning a hidden incident. So, so good. Would definitely make a great movie!

This is a juicy, compulsive psychological thriller built on one of the most deliciously awful what‑ifs: you confess a client’s darkest secrets to your best friend after too much wine… and she turns them into a blockbuster novel.

This book is tension on every single page. The anxiety? PALPABLE. The betrayal? Next level. The moral gray area? Chef’s kiss.

I loved the dynamic of the friendship, how it’s layered and complicated. There is also the slow burn buildup which bring the reader into a paranoia state of mind!

Overall, really great book!

The Bestseller is a compelling psychological thriller that thrives on the uneasy space between trust, ambition, and moral failure. What begins as a single lapse in judgment, a therapist sharing a client’s terrifying story over wine, unravels into a chain reaction that neither woman can control. The novel wastes no time establishing a sense of creeping dread: the moment Helena confides in her best friend Tala, you can feel the ground shift beneath them, even before Tala turns that confession into the plot of her next blockbuster novel.

The story’s power lies in how intimately it explores coercive control, secrecy, and the emotional fallout of betrayal. Rather than sensationalising abuse, the book handles it with a careful, empathetic touch, showing the psychological erosion that comes from living under threat. At the same time, it digs into the complicated dynamics of female friendship, loyalty, envy, blind spots, and the quiet ways people justify crossing a line.

The dual timelines add depth, slowly revealing the fractures in Helena and Tala’s relationship while keeping the reader guessing about who is manipulating whom. Even when I suspected some of the twists, they landed with a satisfying inevitability, the kind that feels earned rather than predictable. The second half tightens the tension considerably: secrets sharpen, motives blur, and the sense of betrayal becomes almost claustrophobic. The final reveal delivers a punch of poetic justice that lingers long after the last page.

This is a thriller that stays with you, not just because of its twists, but because it asks unsettling questions about trust, responsibility, and the stories we tell ourselves about the people we love. Highly enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

The beginning was rather slow until about 1/3 of the way in. Once I got to that point I couldn’t out the book down. It has me reeled in. Sooo good. I was always guessing the ending but I was never right. It completely surprised me. I would definitely recommend this book!!!

Whyyyy was this so good?!!?!? I’m currently in the middle of moving , staying in a hotel while waiting to move into my new house in the next couple days and I read this in 24 hours.

Wow! The story, the complicated characters, the tension—just blew my mind! The complicated friendship between Helena and Tala leaves you wanting to yell at them to communicate better, but that's what we do in real life, right? The past is revealed slowly and grows darker with each chapter. Belle's relationship with her husband is powerfully told, making even the reader want to intervene! Loved the pace, the suspense and each twist!

So good!!!!! It hooked me in from page one. I could not put this down. Finished in about 48 hours. Will be adding this to my list of recommendations to tell to all my friends. If you are looking for a good page turner this is it.

Great book, read in one sitting, twisty and turny. About a psychologist who shares some confidential
Information with her best friend…. Who then writes a book about it. Covers domestic violence and coervive control and its brilliant.
Absolute belter.