Don't You Cry

Such an emotional read. Thoroughly enjoyed it! 5 stars!

This is a dark and sinister psychological thriller. It is told from the POV of Quinn, whose flatmate goes missing in Chicago and Alex, a lonely cafe worker who becomes aware of a newcomer in a small harbour town on Lake Michigan. He refers to the stranger as Pearl, because of her bracelet as she refuses to give her name throughout. From her description, however, it is Esther. Quinn slowly becomes aware that Esther is missing and this begins to throw her into a blind panic.

Quinn reports Esther as missing and begins to rely on the help of Ben, who she has a crush on, to help her find out what has happened. Quinn begins to discover things about Esther that unsettle her. What happened to Kelsey, the previous flatmate of Esther? Her death cast suspicion on Esther and Quinn begins to fear for her own life. An air of menace is beginning to develop.

In the meantime, Alex is drawn into the life of the disturbing Pearl. Strange behaviour from her merely increases his curiosity. You can understand his obsession because he has no friends and looks after his alcoholic father. His mother abandoned them when he was five. He has needs and develops fantasies about Pearl. Pearl is caught up in her own world in which Alex barely figures.

In a tale full of twists and turns, Mary Kubica has penned an atmospheric and beautifully story. She expertly build up the suspense gradually and keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. Many thanks to Harlequin for an ARC via netgalley.

This is a great psychological thriller which switches between two main characters, Quinn and Alex. Quinn's roommate Esther disappears from their apartment one night and Quinn spends most of the novel trying to find out what has happened to her- has she been kidnapped or run away for some reason.? Does Quinn really know her friend as well as she thought she did? Alex works in a small town cafe and starts to become obsessed with a young woman who comes in one day.. He follows her to try and discover more about her and the reader trys to work out what she is doing in Alex's town in the same way as Alex is doing this himself. Why is she living in a derelict house? However we are also wondering if Alex's interest in her is bordering on obsessional.
The narrative switches between Quinn and Alex with the reader being drawn into what they are both saying, trying tto work out how the two stories connect as the book progresses. This will not be revealed until the startling conclusion.
What we do not know is how reliable the two narrators are and this adds to the tension of the book We learn early on that Quinn has ADHD and we wonder if this affects the way she sees the events that happen to her. Alex is very lonely and this too has a bearing on how he interprets the actions of the girl in his cafe.. The themes of family and abandonment also feature strongly in the book.
I found Don't You Cry a compelling read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a psychological thriller with several twists and turns.. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Don't You Cry - yet another excellent thriller from this author. The 2 previous books are also to be recommended!
Such a well written book with brilliant characters. Told from the view points of both Quinn & Alex. This is a fantastic page turner that will keep you up well into the small hours & leave you with bags under your eyes the next morning!
Roll on the next book by Ms Kubica!
A 4.5* read from me.
One to recommend. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved Mary Kubica's other novels so was excited to get the opportunity to receive a preview of her latest novel - Don't You Cry. This is a great, gripping, psychological thriller. The book starts slowly and leads into a twisty, turny book with two stories running alongside each other. The story has you confidentally thinking you know what is going on before being thrown into another direction. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin UK for the preview copy in exchange for a honest review.

Mary Kubica never disappoints. Wish I could give this book more than just five stars. Gripping roller coaster of a read right from the very first page, made it very hard to put down!