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Homewrecker
She’s here to help my daughter. She wants to steal my life.
I have a gorgeous husband, Scott, two lovely children, a successful career and a stylish townhouse. Anyone would think my life is perfect. But it’s all a lie.
My twelve-year-old Katie has been in trouble at school and won’t talk to me. Desperate, we hire young, willowy brunette Deanna – an expert tutor – to help my daughter. I’ve been so worried and my husband blames me. Have I failed as a mother?
Deanna is our last hope, the only person who seems able to help my precious child. But I’m starting to wonder about her intentions…
She’s in my kitchen, touching Scott’s arm. She and Katie seem to be keeping secrets, laughing as they glance at me. And I see her in my bedroom, watching from the window as I leave for work.
Then I find Deanna in Scott’s study, examining an old, framed photograph. And she begins to ask questions about Scott’s beautiful ex-wife.
I know her game; she’s looking for something that will destroy my life. The life she wants for herself.
But Deanna has underestimated me. I won’t give up my perfect family without a fight, and she has no idea how far I’ll go to stop her…
A totally addictive and pulse-pounding psychological thriller from multi-million copy bestseller J M Dalgliesh. Prepared to be gripped until the final, jaw-dropping revelation! Perfect for anyone who loves The Housemaid, The Woman in the Window, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
I have a gorgeous husband, Scott, two lovely children, a successful career and a stylish townhouse. Anyone would think my life is perfect. But it’s all a lie.
My twelve-year-old Katie has been in trouble at school and won’t talk to me. Desperate, we hire young, willowy brunette Deanna – an expert tutor – to help my daughter. I’ve been so worried and my husband blames me. Have I failed as a mother?
Deanna is our last hope, the only person who seems able to help my precious child. But I’m starting to wonder about her intentions…
She’s in my kitchen, touching Scott’s arm. She and Katie seem to be keeping secrets, laughing as they glance at me. And I see her in my bedroom, watching from the window as I leave for work.
Then I find Deanna in Scott’s study, examining an old, framed photograph. And she begins to ask questions about Scott’s beautiful ex-wife.
I know her game; she’s looking for something that will destroy my life. The life she wants for herself.
But Deanna has underestimated me. I won’t give up my perfect family without a fight, and she has no idea how far I’ll go to stop her…
A totally addictive and pulse-pounding psychological thriller from multi-million copy bestseller J M Dalgliesh. Prepared to be gripped until the final, jaw-dropping revelation! Perfect for anyone who loves The Housemaid, The Woman in the Window, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2024
2010 people are currently reading
17515 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Dalgliesh
39 books950 followersJason Dalgliesh was born on the south coast of England and grew up in Hampshire, UK. He has worked in the power transmission industry, the retail sector, call centres and as a night-owl in a bakery. His greatest challenge of all is ongoing, as a stay at home parent.
He is presently writing the Dark Yorkshire crime-series, featuring DI Nathaniel Caslin.
The novels are set in Yorkshire, England. The medieval City of York is Caslin's home town and the plot lines take in some of the UK's most rugged and beautiful landscapes, from the windswept North Sea coastline and across the stunning North York Moors.
Penned in the style of the Crime Noir genre, Caslin is a deep character, as flawed as he is brilliant, battling his own demons as much as those he is pitted against. Readers who enjoy gritty, atmospheric thrillers will find the series a must read.
Having spent time abroad, Jason has lived and worked in various parts of England as well as the Scottish Highlands. He currently resides in the East Riding, with his wife and two young children.
You can reach him via his website at www.jmdalgliesh.com
You can also follow him on social media;
facebook.com/jmdalglieshauthor
twitter.com/darkyorkshire
He is presently writing the Dark Yorkshire crime-series, featuring DI Nathaniel Caslin.
The novels are set in Yorkshire, England. The medieval City of York is Caslin's home town and the plot lines take in some of the UK's most rugged and beautiful landscapes, from the windswept North Sea coastline and across the stunning North York Moors.
Penned in the style of the Crime Noir genre, Caslin is a deep character, as flawed as he is brilliant, battling his own demons as much as those he is pitted against. Readers who enjoy gritty, atmospheric thrillers will find the series a must read.
Having spent time abroad, Jason has lived and worked in various parts of England as well as the Scottish Highlands. He currently resides in the East Riding, with his wife and two young children.
You can reach him via his website at www.jmdalgliesh.com
You can also follow him on social media;
facebook.com/jmdalglieshauthor
twitter.com/darkyorkshire
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 431 reviews
August 2, 2024
Talk about having your socks knocked off! J.M. Dalgliesh shocked me with this gripping and tension-filled psychological thriller. I thought I had this entire book figured out. I thought it was so obvious! I was so wrong!!!!!
Married couple, Sophie and Scott both have successful careers. They also have two children and onlookers would assume that they have the perfect life. After their twelve-year-old daughter gets into trouble at school, they hire Deanna to tutor her.
Soon Sophie begins to feel as if she made the wrong choice. Deanna seems to be a little too comfortable in her home. She seems to be dazzling everyone except Sophie!
I enjoyed how the book progressed and showed how Sophie began to doubt, become suspicious, and alarmed. I had my own doubts and suspicions along with her. When strange things begin to happen, questions about mental health come into play. I was certain that I knew where this book was going, and I was wrong, wrong, wrong! I love it when that happens. This book also has a nice number of twists, tension, suspicion, and reveals along the way.
J. M. Dalgliesh expertly pulled off a shocking reveal at the end that I never saw coming. Whew! Well done!
I had both the book and audiobook versions of Homewrecker which made for a fully enjoyable reading experience. This was my first book by J. M. Dalgliesh, and I look forward to reading more of his books.
Well written, well thought out, tense and shocking!
Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Married couple, Sophie and Scott both have successful careers. They also have two children and onlookers would assume that they have the perfect life. After their twelve-year-old daughter gets into trouble at school, they hire Deanna to tutor her.
Soon Sophie begins to feel as if she made the wrong choice. Deanna seems to be a little too comfortable in her home. She seems to be dazzling everyone except Sophie!
I enjoyed how the book progressed and showed how Sophie began to doubt, become suspicious, and alarmed. I had my own doubts and suspicions along with her. When strange things begin to happen, questions about mental health come into play. I was certain that I knew where this book was going, and I was wrong, wrong, wrong! I love it when that happens. This book also has a nice number of twists, tension, suspicion, and reveals along the way.
J. M. Dalgliesh expertly pulled off a shocking reveal at the end that I never saw coming. Whew! Well done!
I had both the book and audiobook versions of Homewrecker which made for a fully enjoyable reading experience. This was my first book by J. M. Dalgliesh, and I look forward to reading more of his books.
Well written, well thought out, tense and shocking!
Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
August 8, 2024
Wooooooah ok this one had me in a tailspin!
Homewrecker is a psychological mindf&ck thriller following Sophie who has the perfect family. A successful husband and two perfect kids. But behind closed doors the family are trying to deal with their 12-year-old daughter Katie who is rebelling dangerously, and they are concerned about her future. Luckily Deanna a tutor swoops in to help Katie better herself but is that all Deanna is trying to do? Sophie does not trust her and will do everything it takes to stop this homewrecker from trying to break her family apart.
If you are a lover of slow burns, then this book is right up your alley. For me the first quarter of the book was cementing and fleshing out the characters. We get overly familiarized with each family member and get an idea of how cracks are forming in the home.
Our main character Sophie had me stressed out! I kept shouting for her to ‘do this or do that’ and as much as I was rooting for her, she at times grated on my last nerves. But I can’t be too mad at her because babygirl was being GASLIGHTED like no other!
Just as I was trying to digest one information… BOOM a whiplash twist came out of nowhere! I was being bamboozled left right and centre. I did not predict the ending and I love that, but I am also slightly peeved because it was extremely farfetched and ludicrous that it kind of ruined the semi ‘realistic’ aspect I had originally felt from the book.
⋆｡°✩WHAT I LIKED⋆｡°✩
➽ Great psychological family domestic
➽ Short chapters
➽ Dual POVS
➽ Cliffhanger chapters
➽ Suspenseful
⋆｡°✩WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE⋆｡°✩
➽ The beginning was extremely slow
➽ The ending (make it make sense)
Minus the implausible ending I really enjoyed the flow of this book, and it was so hard to put down. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Thank you to the author for personally sending me a gifted copy of this book
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
Ooooh weee this book is giving major drama!
A first from this author, excited to read!!! 💙🤍💛
Homewrecker is a psychological mindf&ck thriller following Sophie who has the perfect family. A successful husband and two perfect kids. But behind closed doors the family are trying to deal with their 12-year-old daughter Katie who is rebelling dangerously, and they are concerned about her future. Luckily Deanna a tutor swoops in to help Katie better herself but is that all Deanna is trying to do? Sophie does not trust her and will do everything it takes to stop this homewrecker from trying to break her family apart.
If you are a lover of slow burns, then this book is right up your alley. For me the first quarter of the book was cementing and fleshing out the characters. We get overly familiarized with each family member and get an idea of how cracks are forming in the home.
Our main character Sophie had me stressed out! I kept shouting for her to ‘do this or do that’ and as much as I was rooting for her, she at times grated on my last nerves. But I can’t be too mad at her because babygirl was being GASLIGHTED like no other!
Just as I was trying to digest one information… BOOM a whiplash twist came out of nowhere! I was being bamboozled left right and centre. I did not predict the ending and I love that, but I am also slightly peeved because it was extremely farfetched and ludicrous that it kind of ruined the semi ‘realistic’ aspect I had originally felt from the book.
⋆｡°✩WHAT I LIKED⋆｡°✩
➽ Great psychological family domestic
➽ Short chapters
➽ Dual POVS
➽ Cliffhanger chapters
➽ Suspenseful
⋆｡°✩WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE⋆｡°✩
➽ The beginning was extremely slow
➽ The ending (make it make sense)
Minus the implausible ending I really enjoyed the flow of this book, and it was so hard to put down. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Thank you to the author for personally sending me a gifted copy of this book
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
Ooooh weee this book is giving major drama!
A first from this author, excited to read!!! 💙🤍💛
August 8, 2024
Wow, I didn’t see that coming!! This was a wild twist, and I didn’t have a clue.
The story is mostly told by the MC, Sophie Beckett, who is married to the rich, and very handsome Scott. They have two children, 18 year old son Chas, and Katie aged 12. Sophie is a presenter on a successful daytime tv show, who is trying to find the balance between her career, and looking after her home and family, which is taking a huge toll on her mental health. There seems to be a lot of gaslighting of Sophie, and her daughter Katie, is rude and obnoxious, and basically a brat, who is constantly being suspended from school…enter Deanna, a young and very beautiful, home tutor.
The story was a bit slow at the beginning, and it didn’t really get going for me until nearly halfway through…then I was flying through the pages!!
I believe this is the author’s first book as a psychological thriller, having carved a name for himself in the crime/thriller world, and I was very impressed with this debut. Despite a slow beginning, I really enjoyed this book, especially the twist in the last few chapters. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing me with this free ARC, of which I leave a voluntary review.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is mostly told by the MC, Sophie Beckett, who is married to the rich, and very handsome Scott. They have two children, 18 year old son Chas, and Katie aged 12. Sophie is a presenter on a successful daytime tv show, who is trying to find the balance between her career, and looking after her home and family, which is taking a huge toll on her mental health. There seems to be a lot of gaslighting of Sophie, and her daughter Katie, is rude and obnoxious, and basically a brat, who is constantly being suspended from school…enter Deanna, a young and very beautiful, home tutor.
The story was a bit slow at the beginning, and it didn’t really get going for me until nearly halfway through…then I was flying through the pages!!
I believe this is the author’s first book as a psychological thriller, having carved a name for himself in the crime/thriller world, and I was very impressed with this debut. Despite a slow beginning, I really enjoyed this book, especially the twist in the last few chapters. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing me with this free ARC, of which I leave a voluntary review.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 2, 2024
There was so much gaslighting of Sophie, but I have to admit the writing style kept me intrigued enough to finish. The story had its moments but it didn't grip me as much as I had hoped. Maybe if the beginning wasn’t so slow, I would’ve been more invested. Plots like this are pretty overdone in this genre but I always find myself reading them anyway.
Mental health is a very tricky topic to incorporate into books; you can either nail it or miss the mark completely, making it a powerful element or a potential pitfall in the story. In this case, it felt more like a miss.
Kids(or just anyone 18 or younger) in books like this can be a hit or miss; in this case, they were definitely a miss. Their behavior was obnoxious, and they acted much older than their age, especially the girl. It just didn't work for me.
The ending was just meh; it felt forced and not believable at all. There could have been a much better way to tie it all up and end the book, but oh well. Basically, the prologue ended up being the best part.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mental health is a very tricky topic to incorporate into books; you can either nail it or miss the mark completely, making it a powerful element or a potential pitfall in the story. In this case, it felt more like a miss.
Kids(or just anyone 18 or younger) in books like this can be a hit or miss; in this case, they were definitely a miss. Their behavior was obnoxious, and they acted much older than their age, especially the girl. It just didn't work for me.
The ending was just meh; it felt forced and not believable at all. There could have been a much better way to tie it all up and end the book, but oh well. Basically, the prologue ended up being the best part.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2024
A first time read for this author from me and was attracted by the blurb….
I love a cuckoo, someone who enters a family intent on disruption…..it matters not how loud we shout at the unsuspecting victims we know they are about to be fooled and chaos reign……one of my favourite genres within a genre and I generally can’t wait for that moment they are caught and normality returns…
I expected this to be that…..and it is, until it isen’t, to say more and try to be subtle wouldn’t work other than to say it is very clever,scarily clever and shocks come a plenty and then some
Well written and good strong characters, some more likeable than others with the added bonus of a byline of Television presenting and the sexist way women of a certain age are treated
Very different to what I had imagined and very good in its uniqueness of story.
I love a cuckoo, someone who enters a family intent on disruption…..it matters not how loud we shout at the unsuspecting victims we know they are about to be fooled and chaos reign……one of my favourite genres within a genre and I generally can’t wait for that moment they are caught and normality returns…
I expected this to be that…..and it is, until it isen’t, to say more and try to be subtle wouldn’t work other than to say it is very clever,scarily clever and shocks come a plenty and then some
Well written and good strong characters, some more likeable than others with the added bonus of a byline of Television presenting and the sexist way women of a certain age are treated
Very different to what I had imagined and very good in its uniqueness of story.
September 4, 2024
1.5 rounded up
This book went from bad to worse. It was bad the entire time and then the ending spiralled down in a heart beat. Completely unbelievable, unrealistic, exaggerated ending to a very long and boring and very predictable book.
Sophie has a gorgeous husband, Scott, literally every woman in the book is drooling over him and there are paragraphs written to describe and highlight how handsome he is. She also has two lovely teenage children, a successful career, being a presenter on a national television and a state of art townhouse.
Yet Sophie is the woman with the most insecurities in this whole wide world. When the new tutor, Deanna, start spending time in their house, Sophie starts comparing herself with her ( as if that was the first woman she ever crossed paths with) and she constantly comes out short. And she does that alllll throughout the boookkk. Like get a grip. If you think you look that terrible and you are that bad, do something about it. Nope. Just whining and whining the entire time.
Anyways, I love JM Dagliesh Misty Isle series. I have a hard time believing the same man wrote this book. Not sure I'll read his next psychological thriller.
This book went from bad to worse. It was bad the entire time and then the ending spiralled down in a heart beat. Completely unbelievable, unrealistic, exaggerated ending to a very long and boring and very predictable book.
Sophie has a gorgeous husband, Scott, literally every woman in the book is drooling over him and there are paragraphs written to describe and highlight how handsome he is. She also has two lovely teenage children, a successful career, being a presenter on a national television and a state of art townhouse.
Yet Sophie is the woman with the most insecurities in this whole wide world. When the new tutor, Deanna, start spending time in their house, Sophie starts comparing herself with her ( as if that was the first woman she ever crossed paths with) and she constantly comes out short. And she does that alllll throughout the boookkk. Like get a grip. If you think you look that terrible and you are that bad, do something about it. Nope. Just whining and whining the entire time.
Anyways, I love JM Dagliesh Misty Isle series. I have a hard time believing the same man wrote this book. Not sure I'll read his next psychological thriller.
August 4, 2025
Tokie butiniai trileriai yra vieni mano mėgstamiausių. Juose visuomet gausu paslapčių. Ar ši istorija mane smarkiai nustebino? Nepasakyčiau. Tačiau knygos puslapiai vertėsi greitai, o ir nuobodžiauti nebuvo kada.
Skoto ir Sofi dvylikametė dukra Keitė - gyva bėda. Ji vos nesupleškino mokyklos, todėl dabar yra nušalinta nuo pamokų. Tėvai nežinodami ko griebtis toliau pasamdo jauną korepetitorę Dianą.
Diana greitai užmezga ryšį su Keite ir ika atrodyti, jog viskas grįš į savas vėžes. Tačiau Sofi nepasitiki ta moterimi.. Ji pernelyg tobula.
Moteris jaučia, jog Diana siekia kažko, kas gali sugriauti Sofi šeimą. Belieka išsiaiškinti kas tai..
Tikrai labai pagaulus skaitinys, kurį buvo lengva skaityti. Kvapą man tikrai neužgniaužė, tačiau laiką praleidau su šia istorija išties gerai.
Skaitant mane šiek tiek erzino Sofi personažas. Vietomis man pasirodė, jog per daug buvo pasakojama apie jos darbą ir jo subtilybes. Vis spėliojau kokie yra Dianos motyvai ir koks jos vaidmuo šiame pasakojime. Turėjau keletą teorijų, tačiau jos nepasitvirtino 🤭
Skaitančius daugiau šio žanro knygų nemanau, jog labai nustebins, tačiau atsipalaidavimui kaip lengvas trileris, tikrai puikiai tiks ši knyga.
Skoto ir Sofi dvylikametė dukra Keitė - gyva bėda. Ji vos nesupleškino mokyklos, todėl dabar yra nušalinta nuo pamokų. Tėvai nežinodami ko griebtis toliau pasamdo jauną korepetitorę Dianą.
Diana greitai užmezga ryšį su Keite ir ika atrodyti, jog viskas grįš į savas vėžes. Tačiau Sofi nepasitiki ta moterimi.. Ji pernelyg tobula.
Moteris jaučia, jog Diana siekia kažko, kas gali sugriauti Sofi šeimą. Belieka išsiaiškinti kas tai..
Tikrai labai pagaulus skaitinys, kurį buvo lengva skaityti. Kvapą man tikrai neužgniaužė, tačiau laiką praleidau su šia istorija išties gerai.
Skaitant mane šiek tiek erzino Sofi personažas. Vietomis man pasirodė, jog per daug buvo pasakojama apie jos darbą ir jo subtilybes. Vis spėliojau kokie yra Dianos motyvai ir koks jos vaidmuo šiame pasakojime. Turėjau keletą teorijų, tačiau jos nepasitvirtino 🤭
Skaitančius daugiau šio žanro knygų nemanau, jog labai nustebins, tačiau atsipalaidavimui kaip lengvas trileris, tikrai puikiai tiks ši knyga.
December 23, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have been so busy this week getting my classroom ready for school that I haven’t had much time to do other things besides school stuff. But, I finished this book over last weekend and I absolutely loved it. About half way through I could not put this book down. I thought I knew what was going to happen and let me tell you, I was so wrong. This had such a great twist. One I was not expecting at all. It ended way different than I thought it would and that’s why I loved it so much. I received this book as an arc and I’m so glad I got to read this book. What a great psychological thriller this was! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This book is about a family (Scott, Sophie and their two kids, Chas and Katie) Well, Katie is somewhat of a problem child and gets in trouble at school and needs a tutor at home. Well, in comes Deanna, the tutor, ready to help Katie with her schooling, but also ready to help herself to everything in Sophie’s life, including Scott. This was just so good. This was the first psychological thriller for this author, J M Dalgliesh. I am here to say that it better not be his last. I recommend this book to anyone who loves psychological thrillers with a shocking twist. This was a twisty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!
Thank you to @bookouture for gifting me with this gem. I just loved it. ♥️
This book is OUT NOW! So go grab your copy today.
This book is about a family (Scott, Sophie and their two kids, Chas and Katie) Well, Katie is somewhat of a problem child and gets in trouble at school and needs a tutor at home. Well, in comes Deanna, the tutor, ready to help Katie with her schooling, but also ready to help herself to everything in Sophie’s life, including Scott. This was just so good. This was the first psychological thriller for this author, J M Dalgliesh. I am here to say that it better not be his last. I recommend this book to anyone who loves psychological thrillers with a shocking twist. This was a twisty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!
Thank you to @bookouture for gifting me with this gem. I just loved it. ♥️
This book is OUT NOW! So go grab your copy today.
August 25, 2024
Started good for the first few initial pages but got dragged pretty fast. Thoroughly bored…
July 28, 2024
I enjoyed Homewrecker, but I have to be really honest and say that I’m a bit over the mental health trope that is played out in so many psychological thrillers. However, if you feel the same way, stick with this one until the end where it suddenly all takes a turn and becomes a much more worthwhile read!
I wish I hadn’t been so distracted by the fact that our protagonist was mentally unstable and unravelling and being a bit annoyed at that typical trope, I may well have seen some clues to the unexpected twist, and generally I might’ve enjoyed it a lot more.
The dual narration was very well executed.
Thank you to bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ELC
I wish I hadn’t been so distracted by the fact that our protagonist was mentally unstable and unravelling and being a bit annoyed at that typical trope, I may well have seen some clues to the unexpected twist, and generally I might’ve enjoyed it a lot more.
The dual narration was very well executed.
Thank you to bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ELC
July 23, 2024
Started off a bit slow but I really enjoyed the ending and the twist!
March 5, 2025
Sophie Beckett heeft alles: een succesvolle carrière, een knappe man, Scott, en twee gezonde kinderen, Chas en Katie. Haar leven lijkt perfect.
Dan schakelt ze een tutor in voor de puberende Katie: Deanna. Bloedmooi, sociaal, intelligent. Al snel verandert de sfeer in het gezin: Sophie ziet Deanna op vreemde plekken in het huis, zij en Scott lijken dingen voor haar te verbergen, en ze begint Sophie vragen te stellen over Scotts ex-vrouw. Wil Deanna haar leven overnemen?
Dit verhaal begint al meteen heftig: er is namelijk een moord gepleegd. Onbekend is wat er is gebeurd en wie het slachtoffer is.
Vervolgens maak je een sprongetje naar twee weken eerder. Hier lees je vanuit Sophie, een moeder van een zoon en dochter en partner van Scott. Alles lijkt perfect te gaan, tot die ene dag...
Want dan komt Deanna in hun leven. Ze gaat les geven aan dochter Katie, aangezien zij op school er nogal een puinhoop van maakt. Maar als lezer voel je meteen dat er bepaalde dingen niet kloppen. Deanna vertoont namelijk vreemd gedrag en Sophie raakt steeds achterdochtiger.
Dit verhaal vond ik erg goed beginnen en ik was heel benieuwd wat de intenties van Deanna waren. Ze voelt namelijk 100% als een indringer in dit gelukkige gezin. Maar dan komen er opeens ontzettend veel plottwists en je weet gewoon niet meer welke richting dit verhaal op gaat. De dingen die gebeuren zijn, hoe dan ook, vreemd en worden steeds extremer.
Als lezer wordt je dus regelmatig op het verkeerde been gezet en dit vond ik knap opgebouwd. Wel moet ik zeggen dat ik het einde misschien een beetje te onrealistisch vond en daardoor ben ik toch ietwat gezakt in mijn eindbeoordeling.
Verder was dit zeker een prima verhaal om te lezen en ik denk dat fans van Freida McFadden dit verhaal sowieso gaan waarderen!
Ik wil @xanderuitgevers heel erg bedanken voor het recensie-exemplaar!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
Dan schakelt ze een tutor in voor de puberende Katie: Deanna. Bloedmooi, sociaal, intelligent. Al snel verandert de sfeer in het gezin: Sophie ziet Deanna op vreemde plekken in het huis, zij en Scott lijken dingen voor haar te verbergen, en ze begint Sophie vragen te stellen over Scotts ex-vrouw. Wil Deanna haar leven overnemen?
Dit verhaal begint al meteen heftig: er is namelijk een moord gepleegd. Onbekend is wat er is gebeurd en wie het slachtoffer is.
Vervolgens maak je een sprongetje naar twee weken eerder. Hier lees je vanuit Sophie, een moeder van een zoon en dochter en partner van Scott. Alles lijkt perfect te gaan, tot die ene dag...
Want dan komt Deanna in hun leven. Ze gaat les geven aan dochter Katie, aangezien zij op school er nogal een puinhoop van maakt. Maar als lezer voel je meteen dat er bepaalde dingen niet kloppen. Deanna vertoont namelijk vreemd gedrag en Sophie raakt steeds achterdochtiger.
Dit verhaal vond ik erg goed beginnen en ik was heel benieuwd wat de intenties van Deanna waren. Ze voelt namelijk 100% als een indringer in dit gelukkige gezin. Maar dan komen er opeens ontzettend veel plottwists en je weet gewoon niet meer welke richting dit verhaal op gaat. De dingen die gebeuren zijn, hoe dan ook, vreemd en worden steeds extremer.
Als lezer wordt je dus regelmatig op het verkeerde been gezet en dit vond ik knap opgebouwd. Wel moet ik zeggen dat ik het einde misschien een beetje te onrealistisch vond en daardoor ben ik toch ietwat gezakt in mijn eindbeoordeling.
Verder was dit zeker een prima verhaal om te lezen en ik denk dat fans van Freida McFadden dit verhaal sowieso gaan waarderen!
Ik wil @xanderuitgevers heel erg bedanken voor het recensie-exemplaar!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
October 28, 2025
La verdad lo he abandonado, muy lento, demasiadas reflexiones y poco avance, Sophie, la protagonista que cuenta la historia , me resulta tonta y desagradable, no se como ha llegado a tener éxitos con ese carácter poco decidido y su actuar como tonta. Muchas palabras y no se dice nada, diálogos insulsos y tampoco sucede nada. Esperaba otra cosa, me dijeron un thriller, donde está? parece que se pondrá interesante pero debe ser al final porque al 40% nada me atrapa.
April 19, 2025
A first time read and coincidentally his first psychological thriller.
Whilst the initial setup was a little slow paced, it gave me a good understanding of Sophie and Scott's perfect lifestyle and highly paid media jobs.
This is until their daughter Katie gets sent home after some serious trouble at school.
The solution of hiring a tutor in Deanna soon makes Sophie feel threatened by another young women in the house - as Denna seems to be getting too comfy.
The novel tackles themes of mental health as Sophies self-esteem, whilst Scott's not helping either.
Whilst the plot does feel a little implausible and over the top, there's plenty of twists and turns to help keep it an entertaining read.
Whilst the initial setup was a little slow paced, it gave me a good understanding of Sophie and Scott's perfect lifestyle and highly paid media jobs.
This is until their daughter Katie gets sent home after some serious trouble at school.
The solution of hiring a tutor in Deanna soon makes Sophie feel threatened by another young women in the house - as Denna seems to be getting too comfy.
The novel tackles themes of mental health as Sophies self-esteem, whilst Scott's not helping either.
Whilst the plot does feel a little implausible and over the top, there's plenty of twists and turns to help keep it an entertaining read.
August 10, 2024
I read the prologue and one question hit me immediately- who was my narrator for this unnerving opener? Was it my longer term narrator or someone else I was going to meet? I went back to the start when I finished and reread this starter and in some ways it made a lot more sense however the “I” could have been a number of the characters! But even on the second read through, I was still rattled with what I read.
What a ride!!!!! Yes this family has that level of celebrity and money behind them but bejeezus they really have problems. Shows money and fame doesn’t always bring happiness!! This is one messed up family, just waiting for someone aka Deanna to take a sledgehammer to their relationship!!
This whole saga is told from one perspective- Sophie’s. She’s the maternal figure in this familial setup but she’s a step mum to the offspring. She’s a successful local TV star, known for her hard pressing interviews. As the story progresses over the fortnight it is set and her life starts to fall apart, I began to question her. Her behaviour and thoughts became concerning, obsessed with Deanna. What I’m trying to say is, Sophie becomes that oh-so unreliable narrator which I love in this sort of read!
In my (maybe naive) mind J M Dalgliesh writes police procedural style crime thrillers (apologies if this is my misguided preconception) and they get brilliant reviews. This stand alone psychological / domestic noir thriller is expertly written. Dalgliesh definitely has traversed the crime fiction plain and created an addictive read, using intrigue and tension to hook me in. I so need to read his series now!
What a ride!!!!! Yes this family has that level of celebrity and money behind them but bejeezus they really have problems. Shows money and fame doesn’t always bring happiness!! This is one messed up family, just waiting for someone aka Deanna to take a sledgehammer to their relationship!!
This whole saga is told from one perspective- Sophie’s. She’s the maternal figure in this familial setup but she’s a step mum to the offspring. She’s a successful local TV star, known for her hard pressing interviews. As the story progresses over the fortnight it is set and her life starts to fall apart, I began to question her. Her behaviour and thoughts became concerning, obsessed with Deanna. What I’m trying to say is, Sophie becomes that oh-so unreliable narrator which I love in this sort of read!
In my (maybe naive) mind J M Dalgliesh writes police procedural style crime thrillers (apologies if this is my misguided preconception) and they get brilliant reviews. This stand alone psychological / domestic noir thriller is expertly written. Dalgliesh definitely has traversed the crime fiction plain and created an addictive read, using intrigue and tension to hook me in. I so need to read his series now!
December 10, 2024
After her daughter is expelled and a home tutor comes to home school her daughter daughter Sophie begins to suspect that she is trying to take over her life, is this the case or is she loosing her grip on reality? Mixed reviews on this one but I’ll start with the good! The narration was great and it really helped keeping me engaged! Also the ending was a chiefs kiss, I was really surprised by the twists! Now the not so good the pace especially in the first half was too slow for me. With all that being said this was a an ok thriller with some good twists!
August 2, 2024
This pov high quality audio was slow to start and then action fuelled until an over dramatic end. I do think it might need a trigger warning due to rge underlying issuses it explores within the narrative.
The narration was spot on for all characters. I didn't see any of the twists coming. The ending threw me as it was ott but brilliant for the characters some of the ending didn't fit with the previous character arc. It was a quick listen which compelled you to continue.
A good domestic thriller written in s unique style that us enjoyable but slow to start.worth a listen or read.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator
The narration was spot on for all characters. I didn't see any of the twists coming. The ending threw me as it was ott but brilliant for the characters some of the ending didn't fit with the previous character arc. It was a quick listen which compelled you to continue.
A good domestic thriller written in s unique style that us enjoyable but slow to start.worth a listen or read.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator
August 31, 2024
3.5⭐ This is the authors debut psychological thriller. He's had success with his crime thrillers and I was excited to receive a copy to check out. This was a pretty good read. It was slow to start…but it does pick up about ⅓ of the way through and it gets tense. The MC Sophie is married to Scott and they have a daughter Katie. They appear to have everything you could possibly want in life. But Katie is having issues with getting in trouble at school and her parents decide to hire Deanna, a home tutor, to help Katie. But shortly after she starts, Sophie begins to suspect that Deanna has some devious intentions. Once I got to the halfway point, I loved the twists that were happening. Plenty to keep me guessing which way the plot might go. I thought I had it figured out a few times and was wrong. I enjoyed how this one played out. I would definitely be interested in checking out more books by this author.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 26, 2025
3,5 *
Táto knižka ma zaujala podľa anotácie, aj keď nejde o nič nového, mám rada tento štýl kníh. Navonok šťastná rodina, šťastný manželský pár a ich problémové deti. Do ich sveta zrazu príde nejaká mladá žena a začnú sa odkrývať tajomstvá.
Autor má ale dobrý štýl písania, jednoducho ste zvedaví, čo sa bude diať ďalej. Aké tajomstvá skrývajú jednotlivé postavy. Príbeh je písaný prevažne z pohľadu Sophie, moderátorky, matky, manželky a Deanny, ktorá prišla doučovať Katie, dcéru Sophie. Musím sa priznať, že som si veľmi skoro pospájala všetky návnady, ktoré autor hodil do príbehu a na konci som nebola veľmi prekvapená rozuzlením. Niektoré pasáže mi dokonca prišli dosť pritiahnuté za vlasy (hlavne, čo sa týkalo hlavne detí), ale nemôžem povedať, že by ma to úplne sklamalo, aj keď, samozrejme, že by som prijala rozuzlenie, ktoré by mi odpálilo dekel. V každom prípade sa kniha naozaj dobre čítala, zhltla som ju za pár hodín, lebo som bola veľmi zvedavá, ako to dopadne (a či mám teda pravdu. Mala som...)
Príbeh asi neprináša nič extra nové. Občas mi trochu pripomínal iné knihy, ktoré som tento rok čítala, ale na druhej strane mám takéto príbehy naozaj rada, a preto som nemohla vynechať ani tento. Len či je Deanna naozaj sokyňa pre Sophie alebo je to celé úplne inak?
Ak máte radi psychologické trilery, určite si nenechajte ujsť túto knihu. Mne sa asi osobne o chlp viac páčila autorova kriminálna séria, pri ktorej sa teším na pokračovanie.
Táto knižka ma zaujala podľa anotácie, aj keď nejde o nič nového, mám rada tento štýl kníh. Navonok šťastná rodina, šťastný manželský pár a ich problémové deti. Do ich sveta zrazu príde nejaká mladá žena a začnú sa odkrývať tajomstvá.
Autor má ale dobrý štýl písania, jednoducho ste zvedaví, čo sa bude diať ďalej. Aké tajomstvá skrývajú jednotlivé postavy. Príbeh je písaný prevažne z pohľadu Sophie, moderátorky, matky, manželky a Deanny, ktorá prišla doučovať Katie, dcéru Sophie. Musím sa priznať, že som si veľmi skoro pospájala všetky návnady, ktoré autor hodil do príbehu a na konci som nebola veľmi prekvapená rozuzlením. Niektoré pasáže mi dokonca prišli dosť pritiahnuté za vlasy (hlavne, čo sa týkalo hlavne detí), ale nemôžem povedať, že by ma to úplne sklamalo, aj keď, samozrejme, že by som prijala rozuzlenie, ktoré by mi odpálilo dekel. V každom prípade sa kniha naozaj dobre čítala, zhltla som ju za pár hodín, lebo som bola veľmi zvedavá, ako to dopadne (a či mám teda pravdu. Mala som...)
Príbeh asi neprináša nič extra nové. Občas mi trochu pripomínal iné knihy, ktoré som tento rok čítala, ale na druhej strane mám takéto príbehy naozaj rada, a preto som nemohla vynechať ani tento. Len či je Deanna naozaj sokyňa pre Sophie alebo je to celé úplne inak?
Ak máte radi psychologické trilery, určite si nenechajte ujsť túto knihu. Mne sa asi osobne o chlp viac páčila autorova kriminálna séria, pri ktorej sa teším na pokračovanie.
June 6, 2025
Firstly, thank you so much, NetGalley and the publisher, for the early copy!
This book was a delight! I find it hard to find psychological thrillers that aren’t predictable, but in the end, this one really wasn’t something you’d be able to predict!
Such an amazing twist! I ate this up from start to finish. Just from the prologue, this book immediately caught my attention. I had to know how it played out, and it did not disappoint!
The writing was so captivating, and the whole thing kept me guessing. I truly enjoyed this so much. Not a second was wasted. I will definitely be reading more from this author!
This book was a delight! I find it hard to find psychological thrillers that aren’t predictable, but in the end, this one really wasn’t something you’d be able to predict!
Such an amazing twist! I ate this up from start to finish. Just from the prologue, this book immediately caught my attention. I had to know how it played out, and it did not disappoint!
The writing was so captivating, and the whole thing kept me guessing. I truly enjoyed this so much. Not a second was wasted. I will definitely be reading more from this author!
March 11, 2025
Sophie lijkt alles te hebben: een fijn gezin, een succesvolle carrière, een prachtig huis en een goed leven. Maar alles komt op losse schroeven te staan als haar dochter van school wordt gestuurd en ze Deanna inhuren om haar thuisonderwijs te geven. Al snel verandert de sfeer in huis, vindt ze Deanna op plekken waar ze niets te zoeken zou hebben, wringt ze zich in het gezinsleven en stelt ze vragen die niets met haar werk te maken hebben. Wordt Sophie nou te achterdochtig of heeft Deanna kwaad in de zin?
De komst van Deanna zorgt ervoor dat Sophie steeds onzekerder en achterdochtiger wordt en de auteur speelt met handelingen en gedachten, waardoor je je gaat afvragen of de angsten van Sophie gegrond zijn, omdat niemand haar lijkt te geloven. Haar gezin dreigt uit elkaar te vallen, er gebeuren onverklaarbare dingen en haar gesteldheid heeft invloed op haar acties, maar de ontwikkelingen en wendingen worden steeds vreemder en extremer en volgen elkaar in rap tempo op, waardoor de ontknoping weliswaar lastiger te raden is, maar de geloofwaardigheid voor mij ook grotendeels ontbrak. Houd je van de wendingen in de boeken van Freida McFadden en Rona Halsall, dan is dit zeker een aanrader!
De komst van Deanna zorgt ervoor dat Sophie steeds onzekerder en achterdochtiger wordt en de auteur speelt met handelingen en gedachten, waardoor je je gaat afvragen of de angsten van Sophie gegrond zijn, omdat niemand haar lijkt te geloven. Haar gezin dreigt uit elkaar te vallen, er gebeuren onverklaarbare dingen en haar gesteldheid heeft invloed op haar acties, maar de ontwikkelingen en wendingen worden steeds vreemder en extremer en volgen elkaar in rap tempo op, waardoor de ontknoping weliswaar lastiger te raden is, maar de geloofwaardigheid voor mij ook grotendeels ontbrak. Houd je van de wendingen in de boeken van Freida McFadden en Rona Halsall, dan is dit zeker een aanrader!
August 9, 2024
Psychological thrillers are a genre I can't get enough of. Homewrecker is my first one from this author. I had no expectations when I started reading, but boy, I shall when I read the next book by this author.
Sophie and Scott have everything, amazing careers, a home to die for, and two children, who are the apple of their parents' eyes. Then Katie, their twelve year old making trouble of all kinds at school. She is sent home and has to stay there until school decides her future.
A home tutor is employed and paid for by Scott. Deanna is perfect. She gets on well with Katie, so what else do they need? Nothing, until Sophie begins to notice Deanna seems to be a tad too comfy in their home and everyone, but Sophie is smitten with her. Is Sophie imagining things? or does she need to put Deanna in her place and her family back in line?
This is the first psychological thriller by JM Dalgliesh, and it certainly won't be the last one I read by him! As long as he writes more, that is. It's a slow burn start, but boy, it certainly ramps up the tension.
Every character is so unique, and they are so well written. Strong and believable, so believable that you don't know who is gaslighting who, or even IF anyone is gaslighting! My head was so wrapped up in this tale. It's a thriller that brings clever twists that have the power to make your jaw drop.
There is nothing better than being convinced of one thing, then the bombshell drops, and you realise you were wrong anyway! Homewrecker is one of those books! Twisty, gripping, immersive, and an addictive read. I am looking forward to this author's next psychological thriller. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the gifted ebook.
Sophie and Scott have everything, amazing careers, a home to die for, and two children, who are the apple of their parents' eyes. Then Katie, their twelve year old making trouble of all kinds at school. She is sent home and has to stay there until school decides her future.
A home tutor is employed and paid for by Scott. Deanna is perfect. She gets on well with Katie, so what else do they need? Nothing, until Sophie begins to notice Deanna seems to be a tad too comfy in their home and everyone, but Sophie is smitten with her. Is Sophie imagining things? or does she need to put Deanna in her place and her family back in line?
This is the first psychological thriller by JM Dalgliesh, and it certainly won't be the last one I read by him! As long as he writes more, that is. It's a slow burn start, but boy, it certainly ramps up the tension.
Every character is so unique, and they are so well written. Strong and believable, so believable that you don't know who is gaslighting who, or even IF anyone is gaslighting! My head was so wrapped up in this tale. It's a thriller that brings clever twists that have the power to make your jaw drop.
There is nothing better than being convinced of one thing, then the bombshell drops, and you realise you were wrong anyway! Homewrecker is one of those books! Twisty, gripping, immersive, and an addictive read. I am looking forward to this author's next psychological thriller. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the gifted ebook.
November 1, 2025
Entretenido con cero sorpresas, se deja leer
April 21, 2025
4,5⭐️
Foi, para mim, uma leitura compulsiva, com um final surpreendente, porque apesar de adivinhar cedo o vilão da história, não vi aquele final chegar.
Queria outro final, mas acabei por gostar.
Fico curiosa com o autor, quero ler mais.
Foi, para mim, uma leitura compulsiva, com um final surpreendente, porque apesar de adivinhar cedo o vilão da história, não vi aquele final chegar.
Queria outro final, mas acabei por gostar.
Fico curiosa com o autor, quero ler mais.
August 6, 2024
A mother hires a tutor, Deanna, to help her troubled daughter. But she starts to suspect that Deanna is trying to steal her life, especially when she sees Deanna getting close to her husband and asking about his ex-wife. The mother is determined to protect her family and stop Deanna from ruining her life.
This book was a unique experience. It started off as a typical thriller, but as it progressed, it took me on a wild ride filled with unexpected twists and turns. The ending was particularly surprising and satisfying.
I was truly impressed by the narrator's ability to keep me engaged throughout the story. By the end, I found myself holding my breath, feeling as though I was right there in the midst of the action. The slow build-up of the story was expertly done, leading to a sudden and impactful climax that left me reeling. Overall, a job well done!
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an audiobook ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was a unique experience. It started off as a typical thriller, but as it progressed, it took me on a wild ride filled with unexpected twists and turns. The ending was particularly surprising and satisfying.
I was truly impressed by the narrator's ability to keep me engaged throughout the story. By the end, I found myself holding my breath, feeling as though I was right there in the midst of the action. The slow build-up of the story was expertly done, leading to a sudden and impactful climax that left me reeling. Overall, a job well done!
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an audiobook ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 8, 2024
This was my first book by this author, and I'm a new fan! I enjoyed the journey getting to know the characters as the well written plot developed. I was so curious about the connection between Deanna and the other characters. This story was well written as I found myself fully immersed in what was going on and what was going to come. Fully invested, i flew through this book.
Scott and Sophie have the perfect life and home, and they both have successful careers. Their daughter Katie has some struggles in school, so they bring in Deanna as a tutor. Once Deanna enters the house, things get crazy. There were shocking twists and turns throughout, and the ending caught me completely off guard! I thought I knew where the story was headed, but my assumptions were WAY off!
The narrators, Alison Campbell & Tamsin Kennard, did a great job bringing the words to life. I loved both of their voices!
I will definitely be reading more by J M Dalgliesh.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Scott and Sophie have the perfect life and home, and they both have successful careers. Their daughter Katie has some struggles in school, so they bring in Deanna as a tutor. Once Deanna enters the house, things get crazy. There were shocking twists and turns throughout, and the ending caught me completely off guard! I thought I knew where the story was headed, but my assumptions were WAY off!
The narrators, Alison Campbell & Tamsin Kennard, did a great job bringing the words to life. I loved both of their voices!
I will definitely be reading more by J M Dalgliesh.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
August 3, 2024
Thank you Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Homewrecker is a tense, shrewd and daring read.
My first read from the popular UK thriller author.
Sophie and Scott live a privileged life.
A beautiful home, two kids and successful careers in media.
But twelve year old Katie has become troublesome at school and an incident leads to suspension.
Not to disrupt her education they hire a tutor for her.
Enter Deanna, a lovely, attractive woman.
But no family is perfect and with the arrival of Deanna, no one will be the same again and when it all comes to a climax, the truth is revealed……
The plot, the characters, the setting and the tension all make for a clever suburban domestic melodrama.
No character is who they seem and with a sharp ending, this read is very interesting and compelling.
There was a few times I was flabbergasted and floored, all in a fabulous way.
I look forward to J.M’s next thrilling adventure.
Homewrecker is a tense, shrewd and daring read.
My first read from the popular UK thriller author.
Sophie and Scott live a privileged life.
A beautiful home, two kids and successful careers in media.
But twelve year old Katie has become troublesome at school and an incident leads to suspension.
Not to disrupt her education they hire a tutor for her.
Enter Deanna, a lovely, attractive woman.
But no family is perfect and with the arrival of Deanna, no one will be the same again and when it all comes to a climax, the truth is revealed……
The plot, the characters, the setting and the tension all make for a clever suburban domestic melodrama.
No character is who they seem and with a sharp ending, this read is very interesting and compelling.
There was a few times I was flabbergasted and floored, all in a fabulous way.
I look forward to J.M’s next thrilling adventure.
August 5, 2024
If this book doesn’t convince you to read more by J.M Dalgleish, then I’m not sure what will! I will say it did start out a tad slow for me, but once I was hooked, there was no turning back. It was such an addicting read because every minute I was just second guessing myself, not sure where it would be going the next moment.
So if you’re wanting a thriller that will do just that, I highly recommend giving this one a try. Thank you NetGalley for this arc!
So if you’re wanting a thriller that will do just that, I highly recommend giving this one a try. Thank you NetGalley for this arc!
July 23, 2025
"Mūsų namai - žmogžudystės vieta."
Pagrindinė veikėja Sofi mane gan greitai pradėjo erzinti. Maniau jei taip bus ir toliau, istorija bus labai prasta. Bet ką jūs galvojat.. Kadangi tai yra psichologinis trileris, pakliuvau į spąstus 😅 ir man patiko. Nebekreipiau į erzinančius dalykus. Džiaugiuosi, kad įpūsėjus istoriją viskas pasikeitė, tapo įdomu ir nekantru sužinoti kuo čia viskas baigsis. Personažai pasirodė labai įtikinami, bet su daug problemų. Istorija yra sukurta iš kelių personažų perspektyvų, kas suteikia galimybę į istoriją pažiūrėti iš įvairių kampų. O desertui - nustebino pabaiga.
"Nėra ko bijoti, išskyrus pačią baimę."
🏡4.5🏡
Pagrindinė veikėja Sofi mane gan greitai pradėjo erzinti. Maniau jei taip bus ir toliau, istorija bus labai prasta. Bet ką jūs galvojat.. Kadangi tai yra psichologinis trileris, pakliuvau į spąstus 😅 ir man patiko. Nebekreipiau į erzinančius dalykus. Džiaugiuosi, kad įpūsėjus istoriją viskas pasikeitė, tapo įdomu ir nekantru sužinoti kuo čia viskas baigsis. Personažai pasirodė labai įtikinami, bet su daug problemų. Istorija yra sukurta iš kelių personažų perspektyvų, kas suteikia galimybę į istoriją pažiūrėti iš įvairių kampų. O desertui - nustebino pabaiga.
"Nėra ko bijoti, išskyrus pačią baimę."
🏡4.5🏡
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