Under Your Skin

by Sabine Durrant

In this page-turning debut from talented crime writer Sabine Durrant, a woman makes a chilling discovery in the woods that changes her life forever.

Gaby Mortimer is the woman who has it all. But everything changes when she finds a body on the common near her home. She’s shaken and haunted by the image of the lifeless young woman, and frightened that the killer, still at large, could strike again.

Before long, the police have a lead. The evidence points to a very clear suspect. One Gaby never saw coming . . .

Full of twists and turns, this is a dark and suspenseful psychological thriller that will make you secondguess everything. Because you can never be too sure about anything, especially when it comes to murder.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense

295 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Sabine Durrant lives in London, England, with her three children.

Reviews

[Kylie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a book. It starts off with a bang, Gaby, a TV personality finding the body of a young woman while out for her morning run, then the rollercoaster really gains momentum when she is questioned by the police and arrested for murder. All the evidence is pointing to Gaby, so she resorts to desperate measures by enlisting a journalist to help clear her name. I found myself rivetted to this book, racing through to find out what happened to the girl. I did work out part of it, but as to the big picture I was surprised! I recommend this book to all lovers of mysteries and suspense.

[Sapphir · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if you only want to go for a run, but unexpectedly come across a dead body – and are arrested for murder shortly after?
This is what happens to Gaby Mortimer, the main character in this well-written psychological thriller.
As a passably successful television presenter with a prosperous husband, their beloved little daughter and a big, luxurious house, she leads a life free from financial worries. But everything she had, everything she believes in is suddenly shaken when she’s suspected of having killed a young woman.
The storyline is told from the point of view of the first-person narrator, which means that the story is very personal. Everything we find out about Gaby’s life we learn from her own descriptions. And bit by bit, we realize that not everything is what it seems …
I don’t want to give away too much here. Suffice it to say every reader is in for several turns and big surprises.
Vivid language, thoughtful contemplations and psychological suspense, which makes you sympathize with the main character, make the book an exciting reading pleasure.
5 Stars.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good novel by author Sabine Durrant however not quite fulfilling the standard of the previous books I have read of hers, 'Lie to Me' and 'Take me in' are well worth a read.
Gaby Mortimer finds a body on the common near her home and is frightened that the killer could strike again. But things get worse for TV star Gaby when she becomes the prime suspect and is forced to prove her innocence.
This is a decent psychological thriller full of the normal twists and turns but not Sabine's best work.

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

As regular readers of my reviews know, I will often admit to having minor quibbles with books that are usually of such a nature as to not impair my overall enjoyment of the story, but I’m afraid to admit that ‘Under Your Skin caused me many irritations- no pun intended.

Ostensibly this is a psychological thriller charting the experience of TV personality, Gaby Mortimer who according to the blurb ‘has it all’ but then stumbles upon a corpse whilst out jogging, and finds herself at the centre of the murder investigation. As the investigation proceeds, Gaby’s marriage and professional career begin to unravel, leading to much navel gazing and her unlikely personal involvement with a journalist who takes up her cause. Perhaps due to Durrant’s characterisation I found Gaby to be intensely irritating with her middle class smugness, which the author tried to offset with a complete over use of parentheses for the first 150 pages using these to either try to poke fun at the vagaries of the middle class from the author’s security of a middle class viewpoint that sounded hollow in its mockery, or for Gaby to try to grapple with her personal insecurities. Although the parentheses did subside, any sympathy I could have possibly had for this character was well and truly lost by this point, such was my annoyance with the over-egging of the middle class theme and the obvious markers in the story as to her guilt or innocence. As the plot unfolds, Gaby’s life and activities come under the scrutiny of the police and suspicions as to her involvement in the murder intensify Don’t get me started on the characterisation of the police protagonists, as in an effort to introduce some quirkiness to the lead investigator DI Perivale, who Durrant depicts as a long-haired ‘dandy gone wrong’, with a penchant for literary quotes, I’m afraid I found his whole character pretty unrealistic, and indeed many of the aspects of the police investigation, bearing little resemblance to police procedure. even allowing for artistic licence. Disappointingly, the ending was as I guessed, and I thought pretty well signposted from early in the book, so all in all I was left feeling a little flat.

I’m sure this will be marketed with comparisons to the excellent Elizabeth Haynes Into The Darkest Corner or S J Watson’s Before I Go To Sleep, and will no doubt be a contender for the Richard and Judy Book Club, but sadly I was disappointed, despite my initial expectations as a fan of the psychological thriller genre. Shame.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just okay. I didn't have the killer figured out, which is always a good thing. I just couldn't get past that there were so many useless words and not enough content with the mystery and investigation. I found myself skipping paragraphs a few times because what was being said didn't matter to the story or the mystery. It just seemed like filler.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that ending was unexpected!! I listened to this on audible ,read by Tracey Ann Oberman and really enjoyed it. Great story, so many red herrings!

[Selena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book....

There were things I liked about: it was a page turner, I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. I liked Clara, the main character's best-friend.

Other than that, it was a frustrating read. There were a lot of sentence fragments, which got to be annoying after a while

Spoilers below

The thing I disliked most about the book was the ending, which I felt came out of nowhere. It's very hard to make the first person narrator the killer. The whole novel, we are reading Gaby's thoughts, feelings and actions. She never mentions anything that would lead us to believe that she was the killer. She expresses only confusion when the police investigate her. Then bang, last 10 pages...oh yeah, I did it! Here's how! It made the whole book feel pointless to me. Why get the journalist to help her investigate? Even if she thought it would lead nowhere, why take the risk, knowing she herself was the killer? I also find it unbelievable that the police were so incompetent that they could not find any more physical evidence against Gaby. She is a first time killer, and she leaves no trace of DNA or anything on the body? After stuffing poor Ania in a suitcase and planting her body in the park? What?

And what a horrible person Gaby turned out to be. Killing her husband and framing him for the murder? Geez. It was good until the last 10 pages or so.

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audible and have to say first that Tracy-Ann Oberman nailed it. She was absolutely brilliant.
This is a twisty psychological thriller which is told through Gabby Mortimer, a daytime TV star who stumbles upon a dead woman whilst having her morning run. Suddenly finding herself as the main suspect in the murder, she is determined to prove her innocence, but the evidence keeps pointing back to her. Perfect for fans of dark, twisty thrillers.

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gaby Mortimer truly has a cushy life. A beautiful woman herself, good looking husband and daughter, along with all the spoils that accompany a posh job and she's got it all. Until she she happens across a dead body. What starts as an ordinary witness helping the police turns into a ticking clock pushing Gaby to turn suspicions off of her and for the police to find the real killer.

Even though I had guessed the ending from early on, it was still a fun read. I found myself questioning my guesses and also found myself become more invested once Jack entered the scene. I do wish the story was a bit longer and had included a little more background as to not feel as rushed. Overall it was an intriguing read and I don't regret reading it. My only wish was that it had included a little more originality in the story rather than piggy backing off the success of other psychological suspense novels like Gone Girl.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do you want to know what gets "Under my skin"? Books like this that has no direction or plot. Just a bunch of sentences on top of each other, refusing to give the reader any reason to continue reading. I have said numerous of times in the past that I am extremely picky rater of thrillers. There is only a selected number that I love, due to the suspense and how fast paced the story was. I look for the book to get me from the first page, or at least have my intrigued. This on the other hand was awful, I just did not care about any character; to my defense,I was apprehensive about reading it, but my curiosity got the best out of me. I just wanted this book to be over, it just was not working at all for me.

Slow progress all over, will I recommend it? That must be rhetorical.

Yet another book that bites the dust.

UGH when would the "real" thrillers stand up?

NEXT!

[Shandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid four stars. Any spoilers will be clearly marked.

When viewing the description of the book, you are greeted with “If you like GONE GIRL, you’ll love… UNDER YOUR SKIN.” Look, UK



Did someone say Gone Girl?!?!?!?! I'M IN!!!!

The storyline is not Gone Girl, but the feeling I'm left with at the end is quite similar to how Flynn made me feel. I was slapped with the crazy at the end and I'm absolutely loving this feeling!!



So Gaby stumbles across a dead body while on her run. She phones the police and from that point on, finds herself thrust into a world of craziness. Gaby's life is perfect. She has a daughter she adores, a very successful husband that she is in love with, a successful career in stardom, what more could a woman want. Is her life really as perfect as it seems on the surface? Or is it all a show? The craziness that Gaby finds herself in is threatening to uproot her life and expose all the cracks in the surface that she struggles so hard to hide.

I was engrossed, entranced, in love, addicted, fascinated, and no matter what I needed to get done, I could not put this book down!! Sabine Durrant writes extremely well and weaved this story very successfully!! Gillian Flynn is one of my favorite authors, and I felt so close to her while reading this book. This…was just what I needed!!! I fear that giving any more information about the book will spoil the story for you.

Why is it earning four instead of five stars? Well, that's basically impossible to explain without giving away the story. DO NOT CLICK THE FOLLOWING SPOILER IF YOU PLAN TO READ THIS BOOK AT ANY POINT (which I recommend to do)!!!!!!!! IT WILL ABSOLUTELY SPOIL THE ENTIRE STORY FOR YOU AND ROB YOU OF IT'S AMAZINGNESS!!!! Ok…I warned you…Throughout the entire story, we are in Gaby's mind and listening to the story through her POV. Towards the very end of the book, we discover who the murderer is, and I really struggled with this fact. From her OWN POV she never shares bits of this part of the story. I don't know how to explain it. But I felt like some of Gaby was a facade. It felt exactly like the author did that on purpose to lead you astray. It felt slightly forced. With that being said, it didn't ruin the story for me in the slightest. But it did earn a star deduction.

This was a surprising gem for me to stumble upon. It was a great read and right up my alley!!




An advanced review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that I read at breakneck speed, mouth open, pages scorching at the edges, etc., only to find myself slamming at full velocity into an ending that disappointed and infuriated me. I spent the last fifteen pages or so murmuring to myself "no, no, no" and wondering if I should throw the book at the wall. I'm all for authors pulling the wool over our eyes, but here I felt I'd been not so much part of an intellectual game as just lied to -- the way I'd feel about a TV conjurer whose stunts were based not on skill and craft and misdirection but on trick photography and film editing. Even in tales with twist endings there should be a kind of trust between author and reader; here I think that trust was violated.

So, what about the 279 pages before that betrayal?

Gaby Mortimer is a daytime TV star, which means she has big hair, winning ways and more intelligence than you'd imagine. Out for her morning run on London's Wandsworth Common she comes across the strangled body of a young woman. She contacts the cops on her mobile phone from more or less corpse-side to report her discovery. Within a matter of days, however, she discovers that she has become their #1 suspect: the dead woman kept a file of clippings about Gaby, owned some of Gaby's discarded clothes, and even had in her flat a receipt drawn on Gaby's credit card.

That circumstantial evidence might seem pretty powerful . . . except that surely the cops might think it pointed rather more plausibly toward Gaby's husband Philip, especially when it emerges that the dead woman was pregnant? However, the cops let Philip jet off for a week-long business trip in the Far East while Gaby remains the sole focus of their attentions.

Philip aside, other possible suspects are totally ignored by the cops, which I found very hard to believe, and similarly for Philip's absence during his wife's ordeal: even with their marriage on the rocks, surely as a matter of duty he'd have come scurrying home to stand by her?

There were further plot points concerning which I thought I was being asked to suspend my disbelief a tad too far. At the same time, though, Durrant is a good enough writer that this didn't trouble me too much. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Until . . .

Yep. That ending.

I'd be very much open to reading another thriller by Durrant, but I'd hope that it'd avoid the gimmicked ending. A thriller writer to watch, but perhaps not as yet entirely to trust.

[Bill Kupersmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Claire McGowan's The Fall and Jane Casey's Missing, as well as encountering Tana French's odious Scorcher Kennedy--not to mention my favourite of all, Alex Marwood's The Wicked Girls--I fully expect that the police will attempt to put you in the frame for the crime whether guilty or not if it helps their solve rate. So I knew when Gaby found the body that she'd become the number one suspect even though the evidence against her is incredibly circumstantial. (After all, anyone could walk through your garden and pick up some mud.) I found much of this book intriguing and really cared about Gaby, hence the four stars.

I see a reviewer complained that Gaby was "middle class" and "smug" but that is surely the point. As in The Fall, what makes being the accused so shocking is that we are fully convinced that we belong to the respectable law-abiding class and that the police and the prosecution service and the courts exist in order to protect us and to keep us safe from "the criminal classes" and suddenly we're spending the night in a cell and going to be faced with a life sentence.

But no fifth star because it was a bit to easy to figure out who the villain was. Unlike another reviewer, I didn't catch any "sign-posting" but we simply run out of other characters who could have a reason to be the culprit and then we know. I prefer not to spot the villain unless I feel I was really clever, which I wasn't.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not reading any more books that claim to be for fans of "Gone Girl."

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.

I knew it!

Sorry, I can't explain fully what I just said, but I can explain that I suspected the killer halfway through the book. Oh, the number of suspects started to rise and red herrings started popping like flowers in springtime, but I managed to figure it out. (I had two suspects. Two, and only one is...)

*Squeals*

Under Your Skin is definitely creepy. Not as creepy as a Ghost town during Halloween, but nearly as creepy. This book is probably inspired by American Psycho, or at least for some parts. Words like ax murderers made me slightly suspicious of a certain character. And no, I will not be telling you who that is. It's only January, far before the publication date, which is February 4, 2014. If you want to know who did it, read it off someone else's review, because I'm not saying a word. If I said a mere syllable, it will ruin everything. (But I might give you hints).

The plot is strong, with a few convenient plot holes. Of course, everything will explain itself eventually. It will explain everything in the last few chapters. (Oh, I just told you where the identity of the murderer is discovered and confirmed).

The murder of the body, which is the very same body Gaby found, is a crime of passion. Let's simply say it that way. This book and problems remind me of The False Prince, but with a murder instead of a missing prince.

Gaby Mortimer isn't right in head. When she tells her POV, you know instantly that something is off about her. Maybe it's because she just discovered a dead body or maybe because she knows something even darker. (I know the truth, but I'm just talking this way on purpose). In an unhappy marriage and surviving a mundane job, she's thrust into the world of law and creepiness, without a warning. (Heh...without a warning).

One character seems to be quite unusual. Jack Hayward? Or something like that, correct? Anyway, he threw me off the path. A very good trick created by the author. I was momentarily distracted by the red herring. But after careful evaluation, I manage to cross him off the list, leaving only two major suspects in the murder. Readers, who already read this book, probably can guess who are my top suspects. One is a man. One is wife.

The ending. Oooo! I want to know what will be the fate of the killer. I think karma will see a bit of action, but I don't know. The ending of Under Your Skin is throwing me into a loop.

Rating: Four out of Five

-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 News personality, Gaby, while jogging finds a body in the park near her house. This act will change her life, her marriage and her job. This book is marketed as psychological suspense and for me this novel did and did not deliver.

In places I felt the writing was awkward, in other places it was very good, I never warmed to or liked Gaby so it was hard to feel sorry for her or to root for a positive final outcome. I found her naiveté irritating. seriously, she works in the TV industry, yet she is surprised when the press shows up at her house. When she is taken in for questioning she is again surprised to find that her TV station wants her to take a leave of absence. The read herrings and the twists were the good parts of this book. But then ..........I disliked the ending though I knew it was coming.

So for me predictable and unfortunately once I question I character's reaction, or they do not seem realistic to me, that colors how I see the rest of the novel.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Under Your Skin” by Sabine Durrant, published by Emily Bestler Books.

Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – February 04, 2014

It is not often you come across a cozy British mystery that incorporates not only a murder mystery but one that has many twists and turns and an unexpected ending. If this is something you are looking for, “Under Your Skin” is your cup of an excellent British tea.

Gaby Mortimer is a British TV personality that is part of a morning show called,” Mornin’ All”. On an early morning run she discovers the body of a young woman.

When she informs the police of her discovery, her life changes as she becomes the prime suspect in a murder. The Detective in charge of the case seems to targeting her, or is he really trying to protect her? Her husband, who is on a business trip to Asia, seems to care little of her problem and seems to be keeping his distance from her.

The murdered young lady seems to have had contact with the Mortimer’s as she supposedly applied for a Nanny position, however, no one can recall interviewing her. Gaby, having no where to turn, befriends a journalist who believes her to be innocent and the two of them begin their own investigation into the case. What they turn up is both interesting and disturbing, and causes Gaby to start to question if this journalist is really helping her or may be involved in the murder.

An excellent murder mystery that satisfies not only the murder mystery fan but those who like the style of the British murder mystery. It is also an excellent choice for those who do not what the shooting and gore that is so prevalent in today’s mysteries. This is a book even grandma would like, and provides everything one would want in a mystery novel.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It was entertaining enough, but nothing special. I really dislike me some unreliable narrator. And my red flags were flying early when Gaby lies to the police about touching the body. Of course, one was suspicious of Phillip immediately and all the arrows (clothes, credit card receipt, soil) point to him; Gaby's insistence of his innocence was just unbelievable. I think the whole Marta selling clothes on ebay twist was my favorite; it did throw a wrench into my thoughts for a few pages. Ultimately, it was just a mediocre story done well enough.

I just wanted to add a coda here; as I was walking the dog this morning I was thinking about this book and considered dropping my star rating to 2 (rather than 3). I'm gonna leave it, but Durrant's tone is awfully judgmental throughout. She has some undercurrents of Gaby as a spoiled rich celebrity (and shame on her for having a full time nanny and trying to have a career), but gives her a "survivor" character because she had a tough childhood (and so I forgive this on first pass). The ending, though is a bit of a "well what would one expect from an alcoholic's kid" and Gaby learned how to murder and scheme from her mom flavor. So, well, hmmm. I guess in Durrant's world we can all expect to grow up deranged if we are not full time stay at homes attentive to our kids? Just kinda hit me the wrong way today.

[Linda Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the book's blurb, I was eager to get my hands on this one. Sad to day, it did not quite live up to my expectations.

Blurb .. Gaby Mortimer is the woman who has it all.

Hmmm.. that's not how I see it. Yes, she's successful in her work. Yes, she has a husband, but it is soon apparent that he's got another life going on.

One day, while out walking, she comes across the body of a young woman. She finds herself the prime suspect. She seems to take the whole investigation as a joke. Even her husband doesn't seem to take it seriously.

Blurb .. Full of twists and turns, this is a dark and suspenseful psychological thriller that will make you second guess everything.

Yes, there were twists and turns. Dark and suspenseful? Not in my opinion. Second guess? No, not really.

I didn't like the characters at all. The plot was a good one .... but it didn't seem to develop in a way that would actually be suspenseful.

[Alma (retirement at last) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm on page 206 and still waiting for something to happen. There's only 300 pages in the book. Not impressed especially after just reading The Fourth Monkey. I've been told there is a twist at the end so I'm hoping it won't let me down. I don't particularly like the protagonist. From the outside she appears to have everything but has too little time to enjoy it. Her husband is drifting away from her and her life is very superficial, everything is about appearances as in so many peoples lives nowadays. The style of writing is very 'bitty', stop, start random thoughts not necessarily relating to the story-line. The policeman/woman appear lacking in personality, almost cartoon like in their portrayal and totally unbelievable in their actions. The reporter also appears to be too good to be true. I'll leave it there for now and see if the last 100 pages will wow me.
I managed to finish the book and it wasn't as bad as the first part but it didn't have a massive surprise at the end

[Petra · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. Just, no. This book was not for me, at all. It was boring and just full of the main characters ranting about every day life. Not exciting, not clever, and the ending just felt so illogical that I can't even. And it's sad, because I really thought it would be great.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I read her other book Remember Me This Way and really enjoyed it but this one left me disappointed. I read the first 100 pages and then skimmed my way to the end and what a disastrous end it was. Such a shame.

[Zuzana Schedová · Rating 5 out of 5]

Další thriller v lednu už u mě asi nikoho nepřekvapí. Tentokrát jsem sáhla asi po dva roky starém kousku z dílny nakladatelství Paseka. Pod kůží je příběhem známe televizní moderátorky Gaby Mortimerové, které se evidentně daří. Má krásnou dceru, skvělého a úspěšného manžela, velký dům a nic jí nechybí. Tedy, nic materiálního. Při jednom ze svých pravidelných běhů nelezne v parku, blízko svého domu, mrtvolu neznámé mladé ženy, která byla uškrcena. Je to pro ní šok a úplně jí to vyvede z míry. Případ začne vyšetrovat policie a stopy ukazují na to, že je spájí víc než si myslela a Gaby se v případu stává hlavní podezřelou. Jak je to možné? Gabin život se stává stále větší horskou dráhou, bulvár jí nedá pokoj a policie se evidentně rozhodla zaměřit na ní a tak jí neostává nic jiného, než vzít všechno do vlastních rukou a přijít tomu všemu na kloub.
Tak tohle byl fakt skvělý thriller. Thrillerů mám načteno fakt hodně a tak je u mě už velmi těžké přijít s něčím originálním. Základní koncepce sice moc originální není, ale zpracování příběhu je skvělé. Vynikajíci psychologické vykreslení postav, vztahů, problémů úspěšných lidí, kteří sice mají všechno, ale v té zaněprázdněnosti tak nějak zapomínají jeden na druhého a postupně se vzdalují. Dokonce tu nastal pro mě veliký wau moment, co je něco, co se mi stane jenom u pár thrillerů, většinou už dopředu tuším, jak to dopadne. Tak tady jsem byla koncem tak překvapená, že tento thriller se automaticky zaradil mezi top 5 thrillerů. Jsem nadšená. Takhle, přesně takhle by to mělo vypadat!

[Maggie Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaby is out on a run when she discovers the body of a young woman in the woods. She calls the police, answers their questions, goes to work (she's on a show like Regis and Kelly), discusses the horror of it all with friends and colleagues. The police come back. More questions. Gaby starts to get a slight sense that things may not be all they seem.

While the cover tells us that Gaby "has it all" any grown woman knows there is no such thing. Your husband may be perfect to strangers but at home he can be less than ideal. Children are always a challenge. Your job can be someone else's dream and your nightmare filled with stress. That is all true for Gaby. She and her husband started out simpler and with each layer of success there has been distance and stress. Gaby now lives in a beautiful home her spouse constantly wants to improve, has an au pair for her one child when she wanted multiple kids she raised herself and works as a talking head when she started out as a journalist. That pseudo-perfection starts to unravel when the police take a hard look at her as the possible killer of the woman she found in the woods.

This is a psychological thriller which leaves you guessing to the very end. Easy to read and engrossing, I found I couldn't put it down once I started.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Gripping, twisted, & kept me guessing right to the end (I was wrong!)

And talking of the end, the back page says...
We hope you loved this deliciously unpredictable book (I did)
& that you really want to talk to someone about it. (I do, I do!)

BUT we have a request....

Do spread the word
Do pass it on to friend (I will its moving on soon)
But please
DON'T give away the ending! .....my lips are sealed :o)

But doesn't that in itself give something away?!

Edit: Re- read 6th-7th May 2020
Well it didn't take me long to re- read this - I was just as hooked second time around. Admittedly, it's impact was a bit less this time around but in it's defence, in the seven years since I first read this, I've read loads (possibly hundreds wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration!) of books of a similar ilk so my radar is quite finely tuned to the twists & red herrings of this genre & it now takes a lot more to shock & surprise me. However, even second time around the ending still caught me a little by surprise.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely more from this author!

[Chris Everson · Rating 4 out of 5]

TV presenter Gaby finds a body on her morning run, and touches it while waiting for the police (who she immediately phones) to arrive. Up to now her life has been picture-perfect, but as she becomes the chief suspect it starts to unravel both personally and professionally. In desperation she engages a PI to prove her innocence.

That sums the story up really.

I really hated the main character, through whose eyes we see the story unfold. This irked me... but the ending and the solution... both amazed and irritated me. It's clever... but only if you suspend disbelief.

I was able to for the most part. It's funny... it was so close to being a 2-star book most of the way through, and the ending almost gave it a 5-star review... for me anyway. It seems to have annoyed others. :-)

[FoodxHugs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf @32%.

Gibberish.

[Amb · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Book of 2022 completed - and what a book to start with. I really enjoyed the book, it had a good ending and a few twists

[Sonja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book a few months ago thru a contest on here and had finally gotten to it. Unfortunately, I didn't really get into it at all. The first hundred pages or so were especially boring to me. Discounting the murder and the whole prime suspect trying to clear her name thing, nothing happens.

One morning while out for a run Gaby discovers the body of a girl. Initially she is just the person who found her, but soon enough she becomes the prime suspect and the cop in charge is totally out to get her. Despite appearances that she has a perfect life with a great husband and sweet child, all is not what it seems. She doesn't love her job as much anymore and her husband is increasingly distant. She has maybe one or two friends and their nanny is not a warm person. Day by day she feels like she's losing control of her life in one way or another. Eventually she recruits the help of a journalist in order to try and clear her name and the story becomes somewhat more interesting. Though, not very. Around the middle of the book, I just didn't care anymore and decided to read the last few pages. Knowing then the truth of it all, I became mildly interested in finding out how it all came to pass and was able to read the whole book thru. The end was the most interesting part even though it still didn't leave me excited or with any emotion for than matter. The real killer didn't come as much of shock though. I had originally kind of thought that she had had some sort of forced memory loss or some such and that she didn't realize that she killed the girl. But finding out that it was her all along and she was literally playing a part in order to get away with it was pretty good.

I had issue with the way some of the characters acted in this book. Gaby never actually stuck up for herself and did what she wanted. She always did what her husband wanted or what she thought he would expect. Including pretty much giving up all of her own friends. So that was a little annoying, but I know that that happens for real so okay. Then you have Philip. How stupid he was for believing such crap told to him by a coworker! Just because someone you work with tells you that if you work hard you are entitled to have another woman on the side, you believe it!? How arrogant you would have to be to think that you are not only allowed to have more than one woman (especially if you're married to one) but that it's something that you deserve. And then there's Ania. Poor, sweet, little dead Ania. Yeah right. She lost A LOT of my pity about her murder when we found out what she had said. The way she talked to Gaby about Philip wanting to move to the country with her and their baby to start a new family was horrible. She had no remorse about what she had done to his existing family or that she would be the reason for a marriage to end. I don't blame Gaby for cracking, though killing her was a bit far. And even after all that, Gaby thought she was just a sweet girl who didn't deserve that. Uh, what?