Kim Ebner's Blog, page 7

The Silence Between Breaths

Goodreads DescriptionEight people, one deadly secret. Passengers boarding the 10:35 train from Manchester, Piccadilly to London, Euston are bound for work, assignations, reunions, holidays or new starts, with no idea that their journey is about to be brutally curtailed.  Holly has just landed her dream job, which should make life a lot easier than it has been, and Jeff is heading for his first ever work interview after months of unemployment. They end up sitting next to each other. On board customer service assistant Naz dreams of better things as he collects rubbish from the passengers. And among the others travelling are Nick with his young family who are driving him crazy; pensioner Meg and her partner setting off on a walking holiday and facing an uncertain future; Caroline, run ragged by the competing demands of her stroppy teenage children and her demented mother; and Rhona, unhappy at work and desperate to get home to her small daughter. And in the middle of the carriage sits Saheel, carrying a deadly rucksack . . .My ReviewA rather difficult book to review based on the subject matter that it covers. It's tough to say that I enjoyed a book about terrorism and the devastation that it causes.At the end of the day, this is a well written and rather gripping read. The book isn't very long and I finished it in just under a day, which is testimony to the fact that I did enjoy it. It's a very relevant and topical read, and after waking up on Sunday morning to news about further terror attacks in London, the topic and message of this book is very apt.I must be honest and say that I found this a rather depressing and upsetting book. I have very strong feelings about the terror that has been unleashed on our world in recent times, and I simply cannot accept the number of senseless murders, the devastation to families and the pure evil that is now part of our world because of these terrorists. I cannot understand how these things can be done in the name of religion. This means that a book like this one was always going to be difficult for me to read. My blood boils when I consider this subject matter.Having said that, the author did a good job of introducing the characters to us, of making us feel something for them and then of creating an upsetting although somewhat predictable ending. Overall, this is a good read that remains topical in the world we live in today. It's received many great reviews, and many readers have loved it, probably due to its relevance. I thought it was good, but I can't rave about it for the reasons that I set out above. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the author tries to justify terrorism or terror attacks, because she doesn't, but I'm just not sure that a  book about a devastating terror attack is what I want to be reading in current times.  It was a good, straight forward story that is bound to get your blood pumping and your emotions flowing.For me, I think that I'll rather leave my reading about terror attacks to the news reports. Sadly, we seem to have plenty to read in that regard. But if you are after a relevant, moving, emotional and slightly upsetting read, then you may "enjoy" this one.My Rating: * * *Publication Date: September 2016Genre: Literary FictionFormat: Trade paperbackSource: My own purchased copy.

Into The Water

Goodreads DescriptionWith the same propulsion that captivated millions of readers worldwide in The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins unfurls a gripping, twisting, layered story set in a small riverside town. Once again Hawkins demonstrates her powerful understanding of human instincts and the damage they can inflict. Into the Water is an addictive novel of psychological suspense about the slipperiness of the truth, and a family drowning in secrets.My ReviewThis book must be the most anticipated release of 2017. I mean seriously, is there anyone on this planet that hasn't read or heard about The Girl On The Train? If you're a reader, the name of Paula Hawkins first book will be familiar to you. Interestingly enough, I wasn't a massive fan of her debut novel. I didn't hate it, but I failed to see what all the fuss was about. I came to the conclusion that her publishers did an amazing job of marketing the book. And I'm not knocking the book in any way by saying that, I'm merely saying that for me personally, I was somewhat underwhelmed by it. But, and this is a big but, plenty of readers were crazy about it.The fact that I didn't absolutely love the first book actually meant that I was looking forward to reading this, her second one. For me, I felt that the lack of hype about this book meant that I was less likely to be let down. In fact, I heard a number of negative reviews about this second book, and it seemed that many people felt that it didn't live up to the high standards set by the first one, and a number of readers didn't even finish the book.I started this book with an open mind and a hope that I was going to love it. At first, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. I found it a little confusing, and I wasn't always sure what was going on. In the beginning of the book, reference is made to water all the time and I didn't always understand what I was reading. And let me warn you now, there are loads of different characters, and I found it a bit difficult to keep track of who was who. If you are the type of reader that battles when there are many different characters, then perhaps just keep a pen and paper handy, and keep a list, just in the beginning until you get the hang of it. But don't pass on reading this book because of that. I got the hang of the characters fairly quickly. I must also say that I'm very glad that I didn't read this book on my Kindle, but rather, I read the paperback. This was good because it allowed me to flip back through the pages when I needed to remind myself of who someone was.Now I know that some people have reviewed this book saying that they didn't think it had enough suspense. But I completely disagree. I thought that the suspense in this book was great, and although this is more of a character driven story, I did find that the suspense grew throughout the book. I couldn't wait to find out what had happened to not only Nel, but also to Katie. So many of the characters seemed strange, and their behaviour made many of them look guilty to some extent. This author can clearly write, and I thought the writing quality in this book was really great. But at the end of the day, this read just didn't stand out for me. I thought it was a good book, and I don't necessarily think that it deserves all the negative publicity that it's been getting. I liked the slow build up and the suspense, but there were certain things that I didn't love. I sometimes battled with the scenes from the past, and I didn't always see the link to the current story. There was reference to witches being drowned in the pond, that didn't tie up to the story. Also, the psychic character didn't seem to me to take matters further. I dunno. It wasn't a faultless story. It seemed a bit disjointed at times.I liked it, and I think if you get the chance to read it, then do that. I wouldn't be rushing out and banging down the door of your nearest bookstore, but that doesn't make this an unpleasant read. Like I said, the writing quality is great and the characters are interesting, if mostly unlikeable. I would read more by this author.My Rating: * * *Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)Genre: Psychological thrillerFormat: Trade paperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Paula Hawkins and Penguin Random House SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

Before I Let You In

Goodreads DescriptionKaren is meant to be the one who fixes problems.It's her job, as a psychiatrist - and it's always been her role as a friend.But Jessica is different. She should be the patient, the one that Karen helps.But she knows things about Karen. Her friends, her personal life. Things no patient should know.And Karen is starting to wonder if she should have let her in . . .My ReviewAs far as I'm concerned, it's fairly rare to read a psychological thriller that isn't great. There's something about the twists and turns in the plot, the devious nature of some of the characters and the relationships between them, that just hook the reader. And let's not mention the often shocking twists that we are confronted with in the last pages! And so it was with this one.This is a powerful story with lots of secrets between the pages. I felt that I knew the characters really well, and the relationship between the three friends seemed very realistic and understandable. There are affairs, difficult family relationships, hurtful backgrounds, wine drinking sessions, sex and lots of every day things that seem very realistic. But without giving anything away, I think it's safe to say that not everything is as it seems, and in true psychological thriller fashion, things start to unravel. It's also clear from the beginning of the book that something bad has happened. The reader is then taken on a nail biting journey to find out what that event was.Okay, so the only downside for me was that I had, to a large extent, worked things out before the ending. It's always a wonderful shock when your suspicions are totally off and the reveal brings forward something from left field, but in this case, I sort of guessed who the nutter was, and what was going on. That said, this was still a very entertaining read...and I hadn't quite figured out everything. Did I pick it up whenever I could? Yes. Was it an easy read? Yes. Was I taken on a gripping journey? Yes. There's nothing much else to say really...My Rating: * * * *Publication Date: August 2016Genre: Psychological ThrillerFormat: PaperbackSource: My own purchased copy.

Six Stories

Goodreads DescriptionThe novel is constructed as a series of podcasts, in which an investigative journalist describes the circumstances around the death of a teenaged boy in an outward-bound centre, interviewing witnesses, suspects and people close to the incident. Their six accounts form the six stories of the title, creating a "chilling and compelling, page-turning thriller that also delves deep into notions of truth, perception and loyalty".My ReviewThis book has been published by Orenda Books, a publishing house that I've been hearing a lot about lately. Being a book blogger myself, I obviously follow other book bloggers and many of them have been raving about the books that Orenda publish. Those in the know seem to feel that everything Orenda touches turns to gold, or rather, that Orenda only touches books that are gold. Unfortunately, Orenda Books do not publish in South Africa, but I bought my copy of this book from the online store, Loot, so you are able to get it there.I now have a number of Orenda books sitting on my bookshelf, and this was the first one that I decided to read. And I must say, I was rather taken with it, although I don't think I felt quite as passionate about it as some of my fellow bloggers. This book doesn't fit squarely into a single genre: it's part murder mystery, part thriller, with elements of mystic fable. But what I can say with certainty is that it's a book that's been exceptionally well received, and many readers are going crazy about it.This book is about the death of a teenage boy. It's told in a very different way however. In the story we hear six podcasts with six different people who were linked to the boy in one way or another, and who were some of the last people to see him alive. So what actually is a podcast? Well, it's a digital audio file that people can download and listen to. Podcasts often take the form of a series, and so people can listen to a podcast each day, or each week to follow a specific series or story. The book thus consists of six interviews, where the host is asking questions, and the guests are answering them.I loved the format of this book. It really made for interesting reading. I'm also a fan of interview style writing, and it's probably also why I'm a fan of good courtroom dramas. I love the question and answer type narratives. So overall, I did enjoy this one. The characters were interesting, although a number of them were rather unlikable at times.I did toy with what my rating would be for this book. I couldn't decide between 3 and 4 stars, but decided to settle on 3 stars because although I liked it, there were parts of it that I didn't love. I also think that I may have read this book at the wrong time for me, which can also affect one's feeling towards a certain book. Crime novel lovers have been going dilly about this book, and perhaps that was also part of the problem. I had heard such praise about this read that perhaps my expectations were too high. As for me, I maintain that it's a good read that is bound to entertain if you're in the right mood.My Rating: * * *Publication Date: March 2017Genre: Literary thriller / murder mysteryFormat: PaperbackSource: My own purchased copy: Purchased through Loot at www.loot.co.za

Fragile Lives

Goodreads DescriptionAn incredible memoir from one of the world’s most eminent heart surgeons and some of the most remarkable and poignant cases he’s worked on.Grim Reaper sits on the heart surgeon’s shoulder. A slip of the hand and life ebbs away.The balance between life and death is so delicate, and the heart surgeon walks that rope between the two. In the operating room there is no time for doubt. It is flesh, blood, rib-retractors and pumping the vital organ with your bare hand to squeeze the life back into it. An off-day can have dire consequences – this job has a steep learning curve, and the cost is measured in human life. Cardiac surgery is not for the faint of heart.Professor Stephen Westaby took chances and pushed the boundaries of heart surgery. He saved hundreds of lives over the course of a thirty-five year career and now, in his astounding memoir, Westaby details some of his most remarkable and poignant cases – such as the baby who had suffered multiple heart attacks by six months old, a woman who lived the nightmare of locked-in syndrome, and a man whose life was powered by a battery for eight years.A powerful, important and incredibly moving book, Fragile Lives offers an exceptional insight into the exhilarating and sometimes tragic world of heart surgery, and how it feels to hold someone’s life in your hands.My ReviewHere's the thing Bookworms: In my next life I'll be coming back as a doctor or some sort of surgeon. I'm so fascinated by all things medical that it simply can't be any other way. So, when I first heard about this book, I knew that I had to read it.This book is the true story of a heart surgeon. It isn't so much a story about his personal progression, but rather a collection of various stories about his most interesting cases over the years. I was genuinely fascinated by just about each and every story. The author draws the reader in to each case and the difficulties that he faced while trying to save these people's lives.The stories contained within the covers of this book can be rather heart wrenching at times. In fact, I had already shed my first tear by the time I'd reached page 55. So maybe I'm just mushy inside, but really, the story of a 2 year old South African boy from Cape Town just tore at my heart strings. So yes, be prepared for a few upsetting moments, but I don't see how a book about life and death on an operating table can be anything but.The other thing to note about this book is that it obviously contains medical terms that some readers may find a little bit technical at times. All of the stories also contain quite detailed descriptions of the operations, which different parts of the heart / body were affected and what needed to be done to help these patients. The author focuses on the operations but also on the stories behind the operations. There are some diagrams in the book to help the reader understand certain procedures and organs. There is also a glossary at the back of the book to help keep track of all the medical jargon which most of us aren't familiar with.In this book you'll read about the right atrium, the left ventricle, the aorta and so on. But don't be put off by this. This book still reads like a story and not a medical text book. I must be honest and say that I do think you need to have a fair amount of interest in the medical profession, as this book can be fairly technical at times and fairly detailed.My criticisms of this book are few, but they do exist. I thought that the book was possibly a bit longer than it needed to be, as I was starting to lose a little interest towards the end. Also, it did eventually get a slightly monotonous, as many of the operations are similar, without being identical. I really enjoyed this book though, despite my criticisms. A very solid 3 stars from me!My Rating: * * *Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)Genre: AutobiographyFormat: PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Professor Stephen Westaby and Jonathan Ball Publishers in South Africa my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

Sometimes I Lie

Goodreads DescriptionMy name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:1. I’m in a coma.2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.3. Sometimes I lie.My ReviewHoly Smokes, what a wild ride! When I sat down to start this book, little did I know that I'd still be reading it hours later and be 100 pages in! Oh yes, I was back in my comfort zone with this one - a solid, gripping, psychological thriller. This one is my favourite psychological thriller of the year so far! I'm still reeling from it.I have never in my life read a book with so many twists and turns. You need to have your act together while reading this one. Don't let your concentration wonder for a minute because the hits come hard and fast, and once they start, they don't stop. This book is a whirlpool of nasty characters, moments that make you gasp and twists that you won't have seen coming. It's so clever that I actually have no idea how the author was able to pull everything together at the end. It is very obvious that this book must have taken forever to write and even longer to edit. It would be so easy to let something slip and so the editing job must have been quite something.I'm actually not going to say too much about the actual story or the plot as it's important to me when writing reviews not to give anything away. So in short: The story moves between three time periods, being the present day (where Amber is in a coma), a week earlier and years earlier, back to 1992. Personally, I love books that jump around between differed time periods and the fact that this book had three of them was great. Amber is in a coma and we are not sure why. It is clear that something terrible has happened, but more than that we don't know. And I'm not going to say any more than that. You'll need to read this book to find out.The plot in this story is intricate. I'm not a person who ever reads a book twice, but with this one, I almost feel tempted to. I need to make doubly sure that I understood everything. I'll be honest and say that the ending still has my mind spinning. I was so sure that I had my mind around the plot until the last page of the book. Now I'm frantically contacting my reading friends on Goodreads who have read this book and asking them if my understanding of the story is correct! I don't mind this at all. I like that the book has got me thinking and trying to piece things together.Fans of psychological thrillers will go nuts for this one. And so will book clubs. There is so much to discuss with this book that you'll be able to really debate things long into the night, with plenty of wine. I thought it was fantastic. I look forward to hearing all your thoughts.My Rating: * * * * *Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)Genre: Psychological ThrillerFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: My own purchased copy.

Asylum

Goodreads DescriptionBarry James is detained in a quarantine facility in the blistering heat of the Great Karoo. Here he exists in two worlds: the discordant and unforgiving reality of his incarceration and the lyrical, snowy landscapes of his dreams. He has cut all ties with his previous life, his health is failing, and he has given up all hope. All he has to cling to are the meanderings of his restless mind, the daily round of pills and the journals he reluctantly keeps as testimony to a life once lived.And then there’s an opportunity to escape. But to escape what? And where to? Can there be a life to go back to? Is there still a world out there in the barren wasteland beyond the fence?"I was sitting in the train looking out at the falling snow. I knew then that I was not going home … I was going to an unknown place on a train full of unknown people. And even though I knew I would not be coming back, that the factories that whooshed by were instantly hundreds of kilometres behind us, that the train would not deliver us anywhere where we’d want to be, I still felt grateful for the snow, the impossible snow. For it seems to me that even in the most bleak of worlds we’ll find something to hold on to … even if that is something as impossible as snow in this god-forsaken wasteland."My ReviewThe entire time that I was reading this novel I kept thinking about the review I was going to write. During my reading of this book I was unsure how I felt about it, and I'm still slightly unsure now. It had its moments, but overall, I'm feeling a little underwhelmed.I was really excited to read a thriller by a new South African author. As most of you know, not only am I a huge fan of thrillers but I'm also South African, and so this book ticked my initial boxes. I'm all behind supporting local talent, and so if I could read this book and give the author and his book some publicity in the process, then great, I was all for it. For these reasons I really wanted to love this one. I wanted to finish this book and shout its praises from the rooftops. Unfortunately, on turning the final page, I just didn't feel very passionate about it and so I won't be doing much singing.For me, there just wasn't enough action and suspense in this novel to label it a true thriller. None of the characters specifically shone or stood out and in fact, I found them a little dull. At one stage during my reading of the book, I actually stopped (this was at about 60% of the way through) and asked myself, so what has actually happened in this book so far? Unfortunately, the answer to that question was, not much. It was very slow going at times and genuinely, not a lot happens. The main character Barry has been detained in a quarantine facility, he's been seeing a psychologist that he quite likes and he's planning his escape from the facility. Genuinely, that's the full extent of the story at three quarters of the way through the book. Yes, of course there's a little more to the story than that, but really, it just amounted to fluff and didn't really add to the "thriller" aspect.The truth of the matter is that the pace does improve in the last third of the book but it was all a little too late for me. By that stage I had pretty much decided that this was a very average read. On turning the last page, I was also left with the overwhelming sensation that I had missed something, that I hadn't fully understood this story. And I think that's true. Talk about an unreliable narrator! I didn't know when he was telling the truth, when he was concocting things, when he was dreaming, whether the people he talks about actually existed at all or whether he was just losing his mind. I was just confused. And that's strange for me because normally I love books that are a bit weird, a bit off the wall. But this one just didn't do it for me. I'm sad about that, but I need to be honest and that's my honest opinion.The thing about reading and about reviewing books in general is this: every book has a reader somewhere that loves it. This is a fact that I've learnt over many years and after reading hundreds upon hundreds of books. I can thus sign off by saying that this book didn't blow me away. It wasn't to my taste. Does that mean that you will feel the same way? Absolutely not. As always then, let me leave you with this - if the blurb appeals to you, then give this one a go. And if you're South African and you can support local talent in the process, then fantastic.My Rating: * *Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)Genre: ThrillerFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author Marcus Low and Pan Macmillan SA for my copy.

See You In The Cosmos

Goodreads Description11-year-old Alex Petroski loves space and rockets, his mom, his brother, and his dog Carl Sagan—named for his hero, the real-life astronomer. All he wants is to launch his golden iPod into space the way Carl Sagan (the man, not the dog) launched his Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. From Colorado to New Mexico, Las Vegas to L.A., Alex records a journey on his iPod to show other lifeforms what life on earth, his earth, is like. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he’ll uncover—from the truth about his long-dead dad to the fact that, for a kid with a troubled mom and a mostly not-around brother, he has way more family than he ever knew.My ReviewEvery now and then I think that most of us avid reader's need a break from our usual reads, myself included. Although I don't read many children's books, every now and then, I hear about a children's book that really grabs my attention. And so it was with this book.I found this book difficult to rate. I needed to remind myself that in order to be fair to the book, I needed to compare apples with apples, meaning that I needed to put on my kiddie cap and read and review this book in that vein. Obviously, I couldn't compare it to the normal books that I read, as those are adult books and are written with totally different styles and language. But one thing always remains constant for me when rating and reviewing books: how much did I enjoy the book and would I recommend it to others.I did enjoy this book but I wasn't wowed by it. I've seen it compared to the wonderful book by R.J. Palacio titled"Wonder"and for me personally, it didn't quite live up to those standards, but this is still a good read. Alex is a wonderful character. He's intelligent, confident, outspoken and has big dreams. He also comes from a slightly troubled background and although we don't know the full story behind his family history, we do learn very early on that his family background is slightly unconventional.Alex's road trip set out in the first half of the book is definitely an adventure and we meet some lovely characters along the way, like Steve and Zed. What I did find with this story though is that it seemed to tackle some rather grown up subjects, namely around Alex's family history. For me, this meant that the story had this underlying seriousness about it and although Alex is pretty funny at times, I thought that there was perhaps not enough excitement for younger readers. At times I really battled to view this as a children's book. It just seemed like the underlying story was very grown up.Alex is an eleven year old boy, which means that this story targets readers between the ages of 7 and 11. Mmm, as an adult I found this story enjoyable and I could appreciate the serious topics that it touches on, but I'm not sure how it will go down with younger readers. Also, young readers in South Africa specifically might find the underlying plot a tad unrealistic, in that Alex basically goes off on a road trip on his own (with no parents or guardians) and meets strangers along the way, which then become friends. Not very likely to happen in South Africa where kids can't even walk around the block on their own. Be that as it may, this is a decent read. It has some good lessons in those pages. For those of you with children or grandchildren in the relevant age group, I definitely think it could make a nice gift, especially for those children who are fascinated by science, space, rockets, NASA and that sort of thing. My advice would probably be that this story is more suited to older children and I don't think it's a story that would hold the interest of younger readers.My Rating: * * *Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)Genre: Children's Fiction / Middle GradeFormat: PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author Jack Cheng and Penguin Random House SA for my copy.

The Dry

Goodreads DescriptionLuke Hadler turns a gun on his wife and child, then himself. The farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily. If one of their own broke under the strain, well...When Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk returns to Kiewarra for the funerals, he is loath to confront the people who rejected him twenty years earlier. But when his investigative skills are called on, the facts of the Hadler case start to make him doubt this murder-suicide charge.And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, old wounds start bleeding into fresh ones. For Falk and his childhood friend Luke shared a secret... A secret Falk thought long-buried... A secret which Luke's death starts to bring to the surface...My ReviewBookworms, it's happened. I've just read my favourite book of 2017! I know that we aren't even halfway through the year yet, but I have no doubt that by the end of the year, this one will either have been my top read, or if not, then one of my top reads. All I can say about this one is that it's fan-flipping-tastic! From the very opening chapter, I knew that I was going to love it. And love it I did.The story opens with the prologue which was so well written and so different that it grabbed my attention straight away. And I only have one word to sum up that opening chapter...flies. You'll see for yourself. It's very catchy.This story is basically a murder mystery, involving two mysteries, one in the present day and one in the past. So, what makes this story so amazing? Lots of things. The quality of the writing is excellent. Every scene, every action, every event was portrayed so realistically that things were perfectly clear in my mind. The story came to life. The dialogue was absolutely spot on and I found myself transported to rural Australia, meeting each and every character. I felt like I knew them personally. I also really loved the lead character, Falk. I felt sorry for him and I didn't doubt for one second why he found it necessary to leave the small town in which he had grown up. There are lots of other characters to love, and a few to seriously dislike. Each character has such a clear and distinct personality and the fact that the author managed to do this so well is a feat in itself. And lastly, the plot. It was totally engaging. And it wasn't quite clear how things would pan out. Even three quarters of the way through the book I was stumped. I had no idea what had happened in the past or how it linked to the current day events.To sum up my love for this book is to say, quite simply, that I didn't want to put it down. I was so drawn to it that I just wanted to read and read and read. To me, that is the sign of a great book. This is pure quality writing. And by that, I don't mean the descriptive, poetic and often boring writing of Booker Prize winners (no offense intended to previous winners of this prestigious award, but I often find those books notoriously too long winded and they very seldom grab me). I mean quality writing for readers who are looking for a great book to be totally engrossed by, to curl up on a chilly winter evening with, the type of book that keeps you up late. And by the way, this book has been an award winner, winning Australia's 2017 Indie Book Award.You need to rush out and buy this great debut today. It's currently published in South Africa as a hard copy and I can see this one being a big book club hit. I strongly recommend it. And please let me know your thoughts. I want to know if you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Absolutely loved this one.My Rating: * * * * *Publication Date: March 2017 (South Africa)Genre: Murder MysteryFormat: HardcoverSource: My own purchased copy.

Everything But The Truth

Goodreads DescriptionJust how much can you trust the person you love?Everything but the Truth is Gillian McAllister's stunning breakthrough thriller about deceit, betrayal and one woman's compulsive need to uncover the truthIt all started with the email.Rachel didn't even mean to look. She loves Jack and she's pregnant with their child. She trusts him.But now she's seen it, she can't undo that moment. Or the chain of events it has set in motion.Why has Jack been lying about his past? Just what exactly is he hiding? And doesn't Rachel have a right to know the truth at any cost?My ReviewI wanted to love this one. I had heard many good things about it and being the fan of psychological thrillers that I am, I really thought I'd fall at its feet. I have good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad. By the time I had reached 50% of my way through this book I liked it, but nothing more. It was heading for a solid 3 star review. Now for the good news. By the time I finished the book, I loved it. Strange how that can happen sometimes, isn't it?Personally, I found this a tale of two halves. The first half of the book was very slow to build. The tension was there, definitely, but it was a slow burn. Now, many people don't mind that, especially with psychological thrillers, which are generally slower in pace than thrillers or crime procedurals, but for me, I found that not much happened in the first half of the book. Yes, Rachel has met a new man, and yes, he hasn't been telling her the whole truth about who he is, but that's all you really know. But then things start to kick off and I found that I was suddenly racing through the pages, dying to know the big secret. I'm not quite sure what changed between the two halves, but I think it was the slow emergence of the secret. Also, Rachel had managed to get hold of a copy of the court transcript and had started reading it and Rachel's own back story from a year ago was all coming together.This is a great book. Don't expect many huge twists and turns and "OMG" moments like you find in many psychological thrillers these days, but this is still a good, solid, entertaining read. It's more of a character driven story which focuses on moral issues. I actually thought that the ending was going to go in a different direction, but I was wrong. Had it gone in that direction it might have had more of a twist common of psychological thrillers, but the fact that it didn't really wasn't an issue.The premise of this book was intriguing and it did raise a number of questions: How well can you ever know anyone after only a few months? How easy is it to hide one's past from a new partner? By the end of the book it was clear that one of the main themes of the book was that none of us are perfect, that we all make mistakes and that often our mistakes cause strife to other people. This wasn't something that I had thought a lot about but this book brought it home. And it's so true. Many of us would have had similar experiences to the main characters in this book - we would have done something so out of character, and someone got hurt as a result of our actions. Does that make us bad people? Probably not. But read this book and it may give you some food for thought in regard to that topic.Overall, a really good debut. I look forward to reading more by this author, whose next book will be released in early 2018.Rating: * * * *Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)Genre: Psychological Thriller / SuspenseFormat: PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author Gillian McAllister and Penguin SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.