The Day You Saved My Life

by Louise Candlish

On a perfect summer's day in Paris, tourists on the river watch in shock as a small boy falls into the Seine and disappears below the surface. As his mother stands frozen, a stranger takes a breath and leaps. This is just the beginning of a spellbinding story of passion, heartbreak, and destiny—an unforgettable novel about mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the extraordinary ways that life and love intersect.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Romance, Womens Fiction, Family Drama

487 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2012

About the author

Hello and welcome to my page... You may already know my domestic noir thrillers or perhaps you're curious and not sure which to try first - either way, you're in the right place!

My latest is OUR HOLIDAY, a Sunday Times bestseller, WHSmith Richard & Judy Book Club pick and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 nominee. It features my favourite ever love-to-hate characters Perry and Charlotte, second home owners in the idyllic English beach resort of Pine Ridge. It's now in development for the screen - I'll share news on that as soon as I can.

Next up is A NEIGHBOUR'S GUIDE TO MURDER, published in July 2025 (UK) and 2026 (US), available to pre-order now.

Last year I celebrated my 20th anniversary as an author with the news of two prestigious awards for my 90s-set thriller THE ONLY SUSPECT: the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for Thriller of the Year and the Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction. Stay tuned for TV news on that one too - it will be the next of mine to hit our screens!

OUR HOUSE is the one you may know me for as it's now a major four-part ITV drama starring Martin Compston and Tuppence Middleton (watch the full series free on ITVX). This is the novel that turned my career around, winning the 2019 British Book Awards Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller and shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Best Crime Novel of the Year Award​, and the Audible Sounds of Crime Award. It was also longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the Specsavers National Book Awards. A Waterstones Thriller of the Month, it recently received a Nielsen Bestseller Silver Award for 250,000 copies sold.

A bit about me: I live in a South London neighbourhood not unlike the one in my books, with my husband, daughter and a fox-red Labrador called Bertie who is the apple of my eye. Books, TV and long walks are my passions - and drinking wine in the sun with family and friends. Authors I love include Tom Wolfe, Patricia Highsmith, Barbara Vine, Agatha Christie and Evelyn Waugh. My favourite book is Madame Bovary.

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Reviews

[trice (semi ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

fact: there's adultery in this
fun fact: i first read this when i was 12 💀

i love this and i hate this because poor alexa, the parallelism between joanna & alexa and how indirectly, james's action 'saved' both holly and indirectly, the people around them (ie breaking the cycle of yk deadbeat dads). (noticing this after like 2 rereads)

i hate this because well, obviously there's the cheating, and holly and james's romance is honeymoon phase all the way but not in a good way. and also the structure is so weird like it jumps to different pov's without a warning.

but i also love this because you gotta admit, even grudgingly, that the prose is amazing. it reminds me of jodi picoult but jodi is much more subtle. and i love this, because i love joanna and alexa cos girl they're so strong they could rival superman.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really disappointed with the ending. #teamAlexa

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh so long and drawn out - took me ages to read it and ended by thinking well why did I bother really?

[Anni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn’t class this as a suspense novel or even a thriller, which this author usually writes, but nevertheless I was totally gripped by the story. And although a lot of the plot was rather unlikely, her characters are always well-drawn enough to suspend my disbelief at the turn of events. I loved her atmospheric descriptions of Paris too.

[Barbara Elsborg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two and a half stars - because there were some aspects I liked but overall, I was disappointed. The story of a young child falling in the Seine and the stranger who jumps into rescue him, sounded as though it was going to be intriquing. The fact that according to the back blurb there is a twist kept me reading, though sadly I'd guessed from the outset what that twist would be.
My problems - The post natal depression thing - I know nothing about this lucky for me - but I fail to be convinced it can be switched off so fast.
- The twist - was ridiculous. Not in that it wouldn't have happened. I guessed that it had but the reactions of other people -(trying not to give it away here) were totally unacceptable to me as a reader. I know this is a story and fiction, but I need to feel something could have happened and I just don't believe it in this case. For that person to speak out now - didn't work for me.
- The characters weren't rounded enough.James is just too good to be true. Alexa seems to undergo a personality transformation and Joanna - well, she just irritated at times.
But having said all that, it did keep me reading. The cast of characters was diverse enough if a little sterotyped. I liked the 'love' aspect and the consequences for all of the attraction being acted upon. I liked the back stories, the parallels, the themes.
I've read others by the author and I'd read more, but this one did leave me a little flat purely because of the twist. I'd have preferred it out in the open from the start. We're left not knowing enough about that.

[Barbara Nikola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlikable and unrealistic people

I wanted to give this more stars, but the plot was strange. A young woman with postpartum depression for two years suddenly becomes completely well after her baby has a near fatal accident(that she caused). She and the child's rescuer fall magically in love. She has no known attractiveness, but this older married man falls instantly in mooney love. There are secrets that could destroy them, but for some reason she get away with it. I like this author, but she does end her novels with no final resolutions.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

Returning to Candlish's earlier works, I was intrigued by this story. First impressions based on the cover suggested that I would be reading a bit of a domestic thriller. However, I could not have been more wrong.

[Cheryl Houghton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm… very over written… I kept waiting for a twist that never seemed to come. Incredibly disappointed as I liked the author’s other books. Really dragged on for me which was a shame as there was lots of potential there.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting

[Debbi Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that ending could have gone one of two ways. All hanging on the last page. This is one of Louise Candlish first books before she went into psychological thrillers, but enjoyed it as a light read while on holiday.

[Emma Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but wasn't totally impressed with the plot or characters. The story was interesting enough to keep me reading, but my main criticism is that it just isn't believable- there were a couple of drastic, immediate personality changes which failed to convince me at all. The long-awaited twist (highlighted in the blurb) was initially dramatic, but the failure of the characters in the book to react to it, and therefore its lack of impact on any events in the book, meant that it became dull and redundant. Character-wise, I found Joanna and Alexa interesting, multi-layered characters with complex present and past relationships. However, I found the characters of Hollie and James very one-dimensional and their self-obsessive fairy-tale love story very superficial and unrealistic. Overall this is an easy, enjoyable holiday read, but not much more that that.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this story although some of it was predictable. Fortunately not through personal experience, I do know post natal depession to be a dreadful illness, it's not going to cured liked that. Although the PND is in the first few pages the very heart of it all the rescue takes over and then so much more, I think it was a "Goodread"

[Deana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish. I got about 111 pages in and this may sound terrible, but I couldn't drum up a shred of compassion for Holly. And I flipped through to the end to see if I was wrong but I wasn't. I love Louise's books but this character just irked me. Did anyone feel sorry for her?

[Shirley Revill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad I persevered with this book because I really enjoyed listening to the story in the end. Very well narrated and well written story. Recommended.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started good but the story just dragged on. There was a little twist that went nowhere. I did finish the book, I was curious how the book would end and I was disappointed.

[Katharina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly super disappointed in this. Kept reading to find out what the point of it all was only to find out ... there really wasn't one?! The depiction of mental illness/ depression was downright insulting, not to mention unrealistic. Couldn't relate to any of the three women. Louise Candlish does crime well but apparently I shouldn't pick up this kind of book from her again!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it - a really good read which maintains pace, manages suspense and original narrative about family dysfunction.

[Sue Chalmers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book pleasingly hard to put down! Set in modern times it is not my favourite genre but I found the lives of mainly three women and their entwined stories, histories and future plans quite riveting. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Simone Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written story with some difficult situations,

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book almost unputdownable, both when I first read it, and again ten years later. It begins with drama: Joanna, her seriously depressed daughter Holly, and Holly's toddler son Mikey are in Paris for a few days, taking a trip down the Seine on a pleasure boat. We're told in the first sentence of Chapter One that a terrible accident is going to take place, and it's not hard to guess what will happen.

Also on the cruise are James and Alexa, a young couple about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. James has been rather distant, and Alexa has planned this trip in the hope of revitalising what they once had together. She thinks that maybe he's starting to relax, if nothing else, when he leaps into the fray in the wake of the accident, and is hailed a hero.

This is the catalyst for dramatic change for several people, and the book follows the next few months of their lives. Cleverly written, with three-dimensional characters and plenty of unexpected twists and turns in the story. Thought-provoking and powerful.

Latest longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...

I'd give four and a half stars if I could.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the last book of my library stack.

+/- The story line was decent, but I predicted very early on what was going to happen between Holly and James, and also what was going to happen with Joanna's and Melissa's relationship.
- I felt like the story dragged on and on and on. I kept thinking it was building up to a big climatic event towards the end .... and then it just ended very subtly.
- It bugged me that some of the words were spelled the British was. Things like 'cosy' instead of 'cozy.' I don't know why lol, but it just irked me every time I came across a word spelled alternately.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Louise Candlish is one of my favourite authors. There's always a twist, a frisson, an aspect mystery and trill.

But not on this occasion. The Day You Saved My Life was pure chick-lit. Nothing deep, no complexity. A very basic premise involving two single mothers who'd made bad choices/been treated badly and their children.

A cheated sibling/scorned wife delivered some conflict but there was really no excitement here. Nothing to challenge the reader, keep me turning the pages.

This was an early book by Ms Candlish and happily she has proceeded to develop a gripping, page-turning style and so I will still anticipate the next book she releases. Actually, the next books.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst I was never on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, wondering what twist will come next ... this book was interesting enough. Admittedly, not the page turner it claimed to be, but the story was original, (if a little unbelievable at times - but I'd be the first to admit this doesn't normally influence whether or not I "like" a book) and the characters were complex.

A little boy falls into a river. His mother is suffering from post natal depression. A stranger jumps in and saves the boy, and ultimately turns the boy's mother's life around too.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, it was light-hearted if not far fetched in some places. I didn't really feel for Alexa saw it coming from a mile off. It was a bit predictable in terms of what was going to happen and the little shock twist towards the end wasnt that much of a surprise. Most characters likeable, Holly, Joanna and James, the main ones. The love development between James and Holly was a bit sickening and over the top. Overall, a good read.

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, the quote on the front of the book is very true, I
couldn’t put this book down, I thought the book was very easy to read
and follow, I would definitely recommend. The story is told in parts.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found aspects of the book so unbelieveable as to undermine it's real credibility. It got better towards the end and the turn of events in the closing pages made me stick with it. Pleasant but not compelling

[Constantina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to finish this book.
In my opinion it was generally boring,the author could tell the stories without so many detail.
The "twist" was nothing special,it wasn't used properly.
Joanna was the only interesting character in the story and she was the only reason that I got to the end.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed reading this book all the way through I was left feeling disappointed. The instant cure of PND was not believable and I kept expecting there to be something at the end that would make sense of it but it didn't happen.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read many of Louise's books and always look forward to them. This was the least convincing of those I've read, I think. Perhaps it's an early one, but I felt the characters were a little trite and the theme (post-natal depression) rather oppressive and contrived.

[Janet Hay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with this book even though I did enjoy it. It was a bit drawn out and it took me longer to read.