What do you think?
Rate this book
Catherine Wheel
Five years ago, Kate’s partner, Max, abandoned her for his pregnant lover. The affair has long since crumbled, but Kate has become fixated with Vee, her ‘replacement’. In a bid to find out what compelled Max to leave, she moves to Bridgewell, which stands in the shadow of St Catherine's Chapel, where Vee is now raising her four-year-old daughter, Iona.
Warm and trusting, Vee is juggling work, single parenthood and a controlling ex-partner, Max, with whom she is still secretly sexually involved. Glad of Kate’s friendship, she nevertheless wonders what has brought this glamorous but brittle woman to such a quiet corner of middle England.
When Vee meets charismatic artist Tom, she is hopeful of establishing her first meaningful attachment since Max. But Kate has her own plans...
Against a backdrop of ancient ghosts, mystical forces and long-buried tragedy, Vee unwittingly yields to Kate’s cruel agenda, until the past and present collide with devastating consequences.
Warm and trusting, Vee is juggling work, single parenthood and a controlling ex-partner, Max, with whom she is still secretly sexually involved. Glad of Kate’s friendship, she nevertheless wonders what has brought this glamorous but brittle woman to such a quiet corner of middle England.
When Vee meets charismatic artist Tom, she is hopeful of establishing her first meaningful attachment since Max. But Kate has her own plans...
Against a backdrop of ancient ghosts, mystical forces and long-buried tragedy, Vee unwittingly yields to Kate’s cruel agenda, until the past and present collide with devastating consequences.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2024
5 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Liz Evans
4 books5 followersOriginally from the UK, Liz Evans is a journalist, author, former psychotherapist, and sessional academic currently based in lutruwita/Tasmania.
She spent the 1990s as a rock journalist in London, interviewing the like of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Bjork, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Marianne Faithfull, Tori Amos, The Cranberries, Red Hot Chili Peppers, plus hundreds of others. She has since written on film, books, women’s issues, health, travel, psychology, lifestyle, parenting and environmental topics, contributing lead features and interviews to a broad selection of magazines, newspapers, academic journals and digital platforms around the world.. These include The Guardian, The Independent, NME, New Statesman, Elle, Dumbo Feather, Lunch Lady, The Age, TasWeekend, Island Magazine, and Womankind, as well as academic journals.
Liz is now a freelance literary critic for The Conversation, and a regular contributor to Bookish on ABC Hobart.
She holds an MA in Jungian and post-Jungian Studies from the University of Essex and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Tasmania where she is now an Adjunct Researcher. She has been awarded two Varuna Residential Fellowships, and a third from the Katharine Susan Prichard Writer’s Centre. She has also received an Arts Tasmania grant for an Education Residency.
Liz is represented by Curtis Brown Australia. She is currently working on her second novel for Ultimo Press.
She spent the 1990s as a rock journalist in London, interviewing the like of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Bjork, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Marianne Faithfull, Tori Amos, The Cranberries, Red Hot Chili Peppers, plus hundreds of others. She has since written on film, books, women’s issues, health, travel, psychology, lifestyle, parenting and environmental topics, contributing lead features and interviews to a broad selection of magazines, newspapers, academic journals and digital platforms around the world.. These include The Guardian, The Independent, NME, New Statesman, Elle, Dumbo Feather, Lunch Lady, The Age, TasWeekend, Island Magazine, and Womankind, as well as academic journals.
Liz is now a freelance literary critic for The Conversation, and a regular contributor to Bookish on ABC Hobart.
She holds an MA in Jungian and post-Jungian Studies from the University of Essex and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Tasmania where she is now an Adjunct Researcher. She has been awarded two Varuna Residential Fellowships, and a third from the Katharine Susan Prichard Writer’s Centre. She has also received an Arts Tasmania grant for an Education Residency.
Liz is represented by Curtis Brown Australia. She is currently working on her second novel for Ultimo Press.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 20, 2024
This was really good! I thought it was going to be just another spurned woman taking revenge on her ex’s new girlfriend but there’s many more layers in this one. Alternate narratives by two women, Kate and Vee connected by their ex, Max. Kate has moved to the town of Bridgewell to follow Vee and get to know her, she says to find what Max saw in her. It’s stalkerish, definitely! Vee has a young daughter by Max and still has sporadic sexual encounters with him. She lacks confidence in herself and compares herself to Kate who seems confident and self contained. There’s much more to this, another manipulative man, artist Tom North becomes involved with both women. And there’s the chapel on the hill, (based on St Catherine’s Chapel in Abbotsbury which inspired PJ Harvey’s song, ‘The Wind’) and an old Celtic site, a cloughtie tree (where ribbons or pieces of cloth are tied as a way to heal, in this usually the death of a baby) next to a spring and deep pool. I really enjoyed the momentum of the story, as both women came to realise that it was the men who were toxic. An excellent read!
October 22, 2024
What a read this one was! Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans is a gripping slow burn literary psychological thriller about the ruinous effects narcissistic men have on the women they use and abuse. From the outset, this novel reeled me in with its atmosphere of quiet dread and beautiful writing. From the halfway mark, I couldn't put it down.
Liz Evans deeply explores the inner most depths of her two leading ladies, Kate and Vee, and has crafted a plot that unfolds as gently as a hot blade slicing through butter. There are no absurd twists or sensationalist plot lines. This novel is far more classy than that with its thought-provoking threads.
I highly recommend Catherine Wheel. It would make for an ideal book club selection. Five stars.
Liz Evans deeply explores the inner most depths of her two leading ladies, Kate and Vee, and has crafted a plot that unfolds as gently as a hot blade slicing through butter. There are no absurd twists or sensationalist plot lines. This novel is far more classy than that with its thought-provoking threads.
I highly recommend Catherine Wheel. It would make for an ideal book club selection. Five stars.
August 10, 2024
Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans was such an enjoyable read. The story centres around two women, Catherine (Kate) and Valerie (Vee) who are connected by a past boyfriend, Max. Kate inserts herself into Vee’s life to find out why Max left her for Vee. Vee and Max have a daughter but are no longer together however, this doesn’t stop Kate’s obsession with Vee. Catherine Wheel is an atmospheric, unsettling and intriguing story full of revenge, instability and tragedy. This was a 5-star read for me! Thanks to Better Reading, the author and publisher, for my preview copy.
September 6, 2024
I really should have DNFed this one.
80% of this book is about two women that’s in their thirties driving themselves mad about men and babies. And just after midway, there’s this random local gossip. Then you wait until the very end to find out it’s not random.
I refuse to call this book a thriller. I think it’s a book about two pathetic female MCs; and honestly I’ve seen way too many of them. I am convinced the local gossip plot was put in there so they can market this book as a “thriller”.
80% of this book is about two women that’s in their thirties driving themselves mad about men and babies. And just after midway, there’s this random local gossip. Then you wait until the very end to find out it’s not random.
I refuse to call this book a thriller. I think it’s a book about two pathetic female MCs; and honestly I’ve seen way too many of them. I am convinced the local gossip plot was put in there so they can market this book as a “thriller”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2025
Catherine Wheel was an intriguing read, the story of two women - Catherine (Kate) and Valerie (Vee) - both of whom had a past relationship with artist Max.
Kate has moved to the (fictional) town of Bridgewell, a couple of hours to the southwest of London, obsessed with discovering just what it is about Valerie that made Max choose her over Kate five years previously. She remains bitter and unable to move on from the split, the aftermath of which caused her to lose her glamorous job as a journalist and has severely impacted upon her psychologically. When Vee walks into the yoga class Kate is teaching, she's at first taken aback, then sees their meeting as an opportunity to seek revenge for what's gone before.
Meanwhile, Vee is raising her four-year-old daughter Iona as a single mother, working in administration at the local artistic hub, and berating herself about the secretive sexual liaisons she shares with Max, timed to coincide with his visits to collect Iona for his contact weekends. She's a vivacious and friendly woman, and is keen to put her past relationship behind her and explore the romantic possibility of a relationship with artist Tom, who is exhibiting at a nearby gallery.
Max is the classic narcissistic controlling womaniser, who manipulates, gaslights and charms as necessary to get what he wants in the moment. He's never made a real success of his artistic career, despite early promise, and projects his own disappointments and insecurities onto those around him, particularly the never-ending string of women he seduces then dumps.
Tasmanian-based author Liz Evans uses the presence and mythology of St. Catherine's Chapel, a medieval structure occupying a hilltop nearby Bridgewell, as a metaphor and influence throughout the novel. The chapel is based on the real-life St. Catherine's chapel above the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, which is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, patron saint of spinsters and virgins, which became a place of pilgrimage for those in search of husbands. St. Catherine is also associated with the circular firework, the "Catherine Wheel" referred to in the title and text.
I'm not sure that I'd categorise Catherine Wheel as a thriller, with the exception of a couple of chapters towards the end in which the characters go through a violent confrontation. I'd say it's more of a psychological intrigue, exploring the lengths to which the fixated Kate is prepared to go while inveigling herself into the life of the unsuspecting Vee. However, over the course of the narrative, both characters undergo a gradual metamorphosis and gain a greater understanding of themselves and their worth as individuals, discrete from the men they have been or may in the future become attached to.
Catherine Wheel is a thought-provoking read, although at times frustrating and anger-inducing, as both central characters allow themselves to be brought down by the behaviour of the sub-standard men they've chosen to associate with. Overall, it's a testament to the power of female resilience and the importance of self-fulfilment, self-reliance and maintaining female support networks.
Kate has moved to the (fictional) town of Bridgewell, a couple of hours to the southwest of London, obsessed with discovering just what it is about Valerie that made Max choose her over Kate five years previously. She remains bitter and unable to move on from the split, the aftermath of which caused her to lose her glamorous job as a journalist and has severely impacted upon her psychologically. When Vee walks into the yoga class Kate is teaching, she's at first taken aback, then sees their meeting as an opportunity to seek revenge for what's gone before.
Meanwhile, Vee is raising her four-year-old daughter Iona as a single mother, working in administration at the local artistic hub, and berating herself about the secretive sexual liaisons she shares with Max, timed to coincide with his visits to collect Iona for his contact weekends. She's a vivacious and friendly woman, and is keen to put her past relationship behind her and explore the romantic possibility of a relationship with artist Tom, who is exhibiting at a nearby gallery.
Max is the classic narcissistic controlling womaniser, who manipulates, gaslights and charms as necessary to get what he wants in the moment. He's never made a real success of his artistic career, despite early promise, and projects his own disappointments and insecurities onto those around him, particularly the never-ending string of women he seduces then dumps.
Tasmanian-based author Liz Evans uses the presence and mythology of St. Catherine's Chapel, a medieval structure occupying a hilltop nearby Bridgewell, as a metaphor and influence throughout the novel. The chapel is based on the real-life St. Catherine's chapel above the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, which is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, patron saint of spinsters and virgins, which became a place of pilgrimage for those in search of husbands. St. Catherine is also associated with the circular firework, the "Catherine Wheel" referred to in the title and text.
I'm not sure that I'd categorise Catherine Wheel as a thriller, with the exception of a couple of chapters towards the end in which the characters go through a violent confrontation. I'd say it's more of a psychological intrigue, exploring the lengths to which the fixated Kate is prepared to go while inveigling herself into the life of the unsuspecting Vee. However, over the course of the narrative, both characters undergo a gradual metamorphosis and gain a greater understanding of themselves and their worth as individuals, discrete from the men they have been or may in the future become attached to.
Catherine Wheel is a thought-provoking read, although at times frustrating and anger-inducing, as both central characters allow themselves to be brought down by the behaviour of the sub-standard men they've chosen to associate with. Overall, it's a testament to the power of female resilience and the importance of self-fulfilment, self-reliance and maintaining female support networks.
September 24, 2024
Big thanks to Ultimo Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
It’s a grey but fine line between a scorned lover and a victim of emotional manipulation.
An affair and the workings of a misogynist has left Kate determined to find answers and revenge.
Vee is raising her young daughter in a quiet English town.
Her ex is still a controlling force in her life and she allows the manipulation to continue.
Befriending Kate might not be her best decision.
Kate has carefully planned the friendship and will pull the strings to fulfil her ulterior motive.
Murky waters are about to get even murkier.
Vee starts to date artist Tom North and with deviation from Kate a collision course is inevitable.
Betrayal, emotion and danger all make an appearance as the truth is exposed and dangerous liaisons turn deadly.
I was absorbed in this story and felt my apprehension build.
Cleverly written at a pace where the reader could relax briefly and think all is ok.
The past and present are like day and night and can turn into the other very quickly.
A twisty domestic noir that a fan of the genre will enjoy.
It’s a grey but fine line between a scorned lover and a victim of emotional manipulation.
An affair and the workings of a misogynist has left Kate determined to find answers and revenge.
Vee is raising her young daughter in a quiet English town.
Her ex is still a controlling force in her life and she allows the manipulation to continue.
Befriending Kate might not be her best decision.
Kate has carefully planned the friendship and will pull the strings to fulfil her ulterior motive.
Murky waters are about to get even murkier.
Vee starts to date artist Tom North and with deviation from Kate a collision course is inevitable.
Betrayal, emotion and danger all make an appearance as the truth is exposed and dangerous liaisons turn deadly.
I was absorbed in this story and felt my apprehension build.
Cleverly written at a pace where the reader could relax briefly and think all is ok.
The past and present are like day and night and can turn into the other very quickly.
A twisty domestic noir that a fan of the genre will enjoy.
July 24, 2024
Format Review 🎧
I’ve never tried audiobooks before and was curious about how they’d work for me!
At first, this reminded me of the time I accidentally turned assistive voiceovers on on my phone. The narrator was stuffy and dry with a thick English accent that got confusing at times. I found myself rewinding to understand some of the unusual pronunciations (“croissant”, “scones” 🥴) and pausing to look up words (“frock”, “smock”). And OMG, what was up with the constant “kiss” in correspondence? 😂 It sounded SO weird! There wasn’t much characterization or emotion in the voices: just a flat reading. What’s spoken word vs narrative? Who is speaking? It all sounded the same, (like assistive text) compounded by the narrator using the same voice was used for all the MCs (except the child for which the narrator put on a grating, nasal, whining voice).
This experiment has shown me that the audio book narrator stands between the author and the human reading the book and I’m not sure I like that. While I have problems with this book, I’m not sure how much of it was influenced by the narrator’s delivery of it. The delivery will make or break an audio book and it doesn’t seem fair to judge the author’s work by the narrator’s performance.
I can understand why folks enjoy audiobooks if you’re on a plane, driving, out for a walk, cutting the grass... but just sat on the couch, not so great. I’m a much faster reader than this book was paced at and got frustrating by how slow progress felt. I did find myself zoning out a bit but no more or less than I do when reading (which pleasantly surprised me!). By the end, I had the speed on 1.5x which suited me a bit better. I’d consider giving audiobooks another go but this time I’d make sure to pair my listening with an activity so I’m not just sat there staring at the ceiling.
Story Review 📖
The story itself was exhausting. It’s interesting that this book has no genre tags on Goodreads or Storygraph - I, too, am at a loss to accurately classify it: it’s too slow to be a thriller, there’s no mystery, it’s not crime. Domestic drama, maybe? Idk.
Essentially, this is a book where the reader is trapped in the heads of two tedious middle-aged women who can’t get over a sleaze ball of a man. They’re moaning about men, fixated on babies and pregnancy, and we endure 10+ hours of them learning lessons about relationships that most of us learn as young adults.
Kate was a very unsympathetic character. Imagine going to the lengths she did to unearth the timeline of the collapse of a relationship for someone that cheated on you and chucked you over five years ago?! How disempowering! Her inner dialogue about Valerie’s body and intellect was so cruel and I don’t understand why she blamed Valerie for her boyfriend’s actions. Why wasn’t that anger and rage funnelled toward the person who wronged her?! I don’t like that her stalking and creepy actions were largely excused either.
Valerie was a bit more sympathetic but largely because she came across as really young (like early 20s) and naïve. I didn’t understand her fixation on Tom or the events that concluded that whole thread. From the listener’s perspective, she kinda does latch on really quickly and most of that ‘relationship’ is in her head. Valerie seemed a bit more switched on that Kate and seems to have learned a fair bit from this whole fiasco though so there’s that.
Ultimately, I couldn’t relate to either of these milquetoast women who wasted so much time and energy on these horrible men.
Writing style has a lot of similes and flowery descriptions that I became hyper aware of because of the audiobook format. None of the characters felt like individuals to me, despite how much time we spend in Kate and Valerie’s heads (which could be because of the monotone delivery of the audiobook). Characterization was weak in general: all men were monsters and all women basically those horrid Twitter ‘wine moms’ of 2017. The ‘mysteries’ (Jessamine and the haunted chapel threads) weren’t fleshed out and felt like weird afterthoughts rather than a core part of the story. I picked up a weird anti-abortion undercurrent too.
The pace of the book is agonisingly slow. The ‘gotcha’ moment isn’t really a ‘gotcha’ because the listener knows the truth about Kate and Valerie’s connection from the beginning; it comes late in the book too. The pace picks up around 90% but the ‘drama’ is pretty anticlimactic especially with all the inner monologues we’ve sat through to get there. The ending felt unsatisfactory - almost like the author didn’t know how to end it. (To be honest, I’ve thought about it and I’m not sure what a satisfactory ending would look like for a book like this.) I completed this book wondering what on earth it was trying to say and what the point was… which isn’t a great feeling.
This book will stand out as my first foray into the audio book world but knowing that I spent 10+ hours on it irks me! Maybe readers more interested in motherhood, pregnancy, and men/dating will have a better time with this? 🤷♀️
I was privileged to have my request to listen to this audio book accepted through NetGalley. Thanks Wavesound/WF Howes.
I’ve never tried audiobooks before and was curious about how they’d work for me!
At first, this reminded me of the time I accidentally turned assistive voiceovers on on my phone. The narrator was stuffy and dry with a thick English accent that got confusing at times. I found myself rewinding to understand some of the unusual pronunciations (“croissant”, “scones” 🥴) and pausing to look up words (“frock”, “smock”). And OMG, what was up with the constant “kiss” in correspondence? 😂 It sounded SO weird! There wasn’t much characterization or emotion in the voices: just a flat reading. What’s spoken word vs narrative? Who is speaking? It all sounded the same, (like assistive text) compounded by the narrator using the same voice was used for all the MCs (except the child for which the narrator put on a grating, nasal, whining voice).
This experiment has shown me that the audio book narrator stands between the author and the human reading the book and I’m not sure I like that. While I have problems with this book, I’m not sure how much of it was influenced by the narrator’s delivery of it. The delivery will make or break an audio book and it doesn’t seem fair to judge the author’s work by the narrator’s performance.
I can understand why folks enjoy audiobooks if you’re on a plane, driving, out for a walk, cutting the grass... but just sat on the couch, not so great. I’m a much faster reader than this book was paced at and got frustrating by how slow progress felt. I did find myself zoning out a bit but no more or less than I do when reading (which pleasantly surprised me!). By the end, I had the speed on 1.5x which suited me a bit better. I’d consider giving audiobooks another go but this time I’d make sure to pair my listening with an activity so I’m not just sat there staring at the ceiling.
Story Review 📖
The story itself was exhausting. It’s interesting that this book has no genre tags on Goodreads or Storygraph - I, too, am at a loss to accurately classify it: it’s too slow to be a thriller, there’s no mystery, it’s not crime. Domestic drama, maybe? Idk.
Essentially, this is a book where the reader is trapped in the heads of two tedious middle-aged women who can’t get over a sleaze ball of a man. They’re moaning about men, fixated on babies and pregnancy, and we endure 10+ hours of them learning lessons about relationships that most of us learn as young adults.
Kate was a very unsympathetic character. Imagine going to the lengths she did to unearth the timeline of the collapse of a relationship for someone that cheated on you and chucked you over five years ago?! How disempowering! Her inner dialogue about Valerie’s body and intellect was so cruel and I don’t understand why she blamed Valerie for her boyfriend’s actions. Why wasn’t that anger and rage funnelled toward the person who wronged her?! I don’t like that her stalking and creepy actions were largely excused either.
Valerie was a bit more sympathetic but largely because she came across as really young (like early 20s) and naïve. I didn’t understand her fixation on Tom or the events that concluded that whole thread. From the listener’s perspective, she kinda does latch on really quickly and most of that ‘relationship’ is in her head. Valerie seemed a bit more switched on that Kate and seems to have learned a fair bit from this whole fiasco though so there’s that.
Ultimately, I couldn’t relate to either of these milquetoast women who wasted so much time and energy on these horrible men.
Writing style has a lot of similes and flowery descriptions that I became hyper aware of because of the audiobook format. None of the characters felt like individuals to me, despite how much time we spend in Kate and Valerie’s heads (which could be because of the monotone delivery of the audiobook). Characterization was weak in general: all men were monsters and all women basically those horrid Twitter ‘wine moms’ of 2017. The ‘mysteries’ (Jessamine and the haunted chapel threads) weren’t fleshed out and felt like weird afterthoughts rather than a core part of the story. I picked up a weird anti-abortion undercurrent too.
The pace of the book is agonisingly slow. The ‘gotcha’ moment isn’t really a ‘gotcha’ because the listener knows the truth about Kate and Valerie’s connection from the beginning; it comes late in the book too. The pace picks up around 90% but the ‘drama’ is pretty anticlimactic especially with all the inner monologues we’ve sat through to get there. The ending felt unsatisfactory - almost like the author didn’t know how to end it. (To be honest, I’ve thought about it and I’m not sure what a satisfactory ending would look like for a book like this.) I completed this book wondering what on earth it was trying to say and what the point was… which isn’t a great feeling.
This book will stand out as my first foray into the audio book world but knowing that I spent 10+ hours on it irks me! Maybe readers more interested in motherhood, pregnancy, and men/dating will have a better time with this? 🤷♀️
I was privileged to have my request to listen to this audio book accepted through NetGalley. Thanks Wavesound/WF Howes.
August 1, 2024
In the excellent Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans (August 7) Kate appears to be back on her feet after her breakup with the self-serving and controlling Max. Initially thrilled by his intense interest in, and attraction to, her, she was demeaned by his philandering and gaslighting, the “slow corrode”, until he abruptly left her for another woman, Vee. Damaged by his manipulation, still snared in the dependency he incubated, Kate is obsessed with understanding what Vee had that she didn’t. Now split from Max, Vee lives in a small country town with their small daughter Iona, and Kate, with a nebulous enmity, relocates to get closer to them.
In general, I’m not a huge fan of thrillers. So many of them do unconvincing things with co-incidence and behaviour which tip me straight out of the story. It's the premise that lures me, and this is a great one, brilliantly executed with genuine conviction, rage, and insight. Emotive issues are raised here, but none of them sensationalised. They are examined and laid bare, and we absorb the truths of their consequences. The impact of Max’s behaviour extends beyond Kate, Vee, and Iona, and we see it echoed in another man they both encounter.
A few years ago I'd have groaned at this being a contrived coincidence of “thrillerdom” but now I’m wiser and more aware of toxic masculinity and the lasting impact of men Liz Evans identified, elsewhere, as “gods of their own universes. Their problem lies with them believing in their own realities at the expense of others.”
“You’re all the f**king same aren’t you? You f**king women!” yells a male character, and Kate reflects; It’s not us women who are all the f**king same…
It’s heart-breaking to observe Kate and Vee coming to terms with the realities of how they have been broken, and how similar men observe that damage, use it as a way in, and inflict more. They lose faith in themselves, can’t trust anyone else, keep quiet for fear of appearing weak and foolish and, worst of all, are pitched as women against each other, not their abuser, in their anger and despair. Their resilience is hard won.
Compelling and rousing, this a bold and potent book.
In general, I’m not a huge fan of thrillers. So many of them do unconvincing things with co-incidence and behaviour which tip me straight out of the story. It's the premise that lures me, and this is a great one, brilliantly executed with genuine conviction, rage, and insight. Emotive issues are raised here, but none of them sensationalised. They are examined and laid bare, and we absorb the truths of their consequences. The impact of Max’s behaviour extends beyond Kate, Vee, and Iona, and we see it echoed in another man they both encounter.
A few years ago I'd have groaned at this being a contrived coincidence of “thrillerdom” but now I’m wiser and more aware of toxic masculinity and the lasting impact of men Liz Evans identified, elsewhere, as “gods of their own universes. Their problem lies with them believing in their own realities at the expense of others.”
“You’re all the f**king same aren’t you? You f**king women!” yells a male character, and Kate reflects; It’s not us women who are all the f**king same…
It’s heart-breaking to observe Kate and Vee coming to terms with the realities of how they have been broken, and how similar men observe that damage, use it as a way in, and inflict more. They lose faith in themselves, can’t trust anyone else, keep quiet for fear of appearing weak and foolish and, worst of all, are pitched as women against each other, not their abuser, in their anger and despair. Their resilience is hard won.
Compelling and rousing, this a bold and potent book.
December 8, 2024
Kate thought she had found the love of her life until he left her for his pregnant side piece Vee. Five years on, and Vee is a single mum who is just trying to balance work, life, and a child. Vee has a good group of friends and a potential love interest. Kate has befriended Vee without Vee knowing who Kate really is and is slowly trying to get revenge.
This book was messed up, and I think all the women need therapy. Hell, I need therapy after that book. Who honestly has the energy to waste on ruining someone's life for something they unknowingly did 5 years ago. This book was a no for me.
This book was messed up, and I think all the women need therapy. Hell, I need therapy after that book. Who honestly has the energy to waste on ruining someone's life for something they unknowingly did 5 years ago. This book was a no for me.
September 30, 2024
An excellent debut novel.
July 21, 2024
Kate’s partner Max left her to be with his pregnant lover Vee five years ago. Kate has never gotten over it as much as she tries to move on.
So, she decides to move to Bridgewell where Vee now lives rearing her child Iona, a four-year-old, and the daughter of Max. With the affair well and truly finished between Vee and Max, he does have access to Iona on some weekends which gives Vee a break.
Vee is very trusting and meets an artist, Tom, who is an artist she has met through her work and is hopeful they could have a serious relationship. She has also friended Kate and is glad to have her in her life. Kate has also helped out with babysitting Iona, but what is she up to?
This is the first novel I have read by Liz Evans and she took me on a journey to the dark side with very interesting multi-faceted characters. I had no idea where the story was going and a surprise ending was thrown into the mix of this psychological thriller. A real page-turner and a must read.
Thank you to Ultima Press and Better Reading for the advanced copy.
July 27, 2024
I downloaded this audiobook from NetGalley, thinking it would be a standard domestic noir in which a woman driven crazy by a toxic man went on to do toxic things herself.
But there is waaaaaaay more to it than that. The author is a psychotherapist who was motivated to pursue her PhD looking at the portrayal of women’s complex psychological and emotional states in psychological thrillers.
The resulting book, Catherine Wheel, makes for a fascinating read. If you like Sarah Vaughan’s work, you’ll probably like this too - for my money it has the same nuancing of the lead characters. We hope that we wouldn’t act like Kate in Catherine Wheel, but Evans has written her so well that we can understand how she has ended up in the situation in which she finds herself.
A good domestic noir should, I think, make us feel uncomfortable while still wanting to turn the pages / keep listening. It’s a fine line to tread. I believe that Liz Evans has trodden it with perfect poise.
Three Word Review: Catherine wheel spinning
But there is waaaaaaay more to it than that. The author is a psychotherapist who was motivated to pursue her PhD looking at the portrayal of women’s complex psychological and emotional states in psychological thrillers.
The resulting book, Catherine Wheel, makes for a fascinating read. If you like Sarah Vaughan’s work, you’ll probably like this too - for my money it has the same nuancing of the lead characters. We hope that we wouldn’t act like Kate in Catherine Wheel, but Evans has written her so well that we can understand how she has ended up in the situation in which she finds herself.
A good domestic noir should, I think, make us feel uncomfortable while still wanting to turn the pages / keep listening. It’s a fine line to tread. I believe that Liz Evans has trodden it with perfect poise.
Three Word Review: Catherine wheel spinning
January 14, 2025
Main character Kate has moved to the countryside to effectively stalk the woman (Vee) who was the cause of Kate’s relationship breakup with Max. Vee subsequently had a baby with Max before their relationship also fell apart. Kate is obsessed with finding out what Max saw in Vee. Vee is struggling with single motherhood, work, and relationships, while still secretly sleeping with Max. Vee seeks in Kate a desperately needed friend. This part of the novel is done quite well.
The novel alternates the perspectives of Kate and Vee. “The comparisons highlight their insecurities: both women see the best of each other and the worst of themselves.” (https://theconversation.com/where-in-...) One reviewer says: “Her portraits of the modern woman, demure and masked through her romantic experiences, left me wincing with recognition: She’s not good with anger. They didn’t do anger in her family […] So now, she deals with upsets and injuries by remaining calm, keeping her distance, or complying to the point of self-erasure.“ (https://theconversation.com/where-in-...) They also noted: “Catherine Wheel is a natural evolution of the genre of #Metoo fiction. It’s not about violence done to women’s bodies by men – or not solely about that – but about women’s minds and lives, and their self image.”
In an interview, Liz Evans said: “I have been an avid reader of psychological thrillers for decades, but the ‘Girl’ publishing phenomena introduced a wave of psychobitch characters, which I found extremely problematic. Unlike the more psychologically nuanced protagonists in books by Erin Kelly, Helen Dunmore, and Harriet Lane, suddenly novels were teeming with psychotic, homicidal women, hellbent on revenge. I found this reductive, psychologically inaccurate, and ultimately misogynistic. Having trained as a psychodynamic psychotherapist, I felt very strongly about this, and decided I could do a better job!” (https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk...)
The tension ratchets up when Vee goes out with an older man Tom, an artist. This is, after all, a psychological thriller so what could go wrong? Kate begins to interfere in that relationship. I wanted to feel more empathy for Kate – who had been through a lot but it wasn’t a bog feature of the novel – deliberately. Evans says: “I wanted to create unlikeable, damaged, vulnerable characters who were not psychopathic, and who could instil a level of empathy in the reader, while simultaneously horrifying them. I wanted them to be relatable – but only just!”
The Catherine Wheel was a medieval torture device used on St Catherine by the Roman emperor. The book is set near St Catherine’s Chapel, a tiny ancient chapel in Dorset, where young women came to offer up prayers to find a husband. Evans said that she was inspired by “PJ Harvey’s song, The Wind which is about the tiny ancient chapel in Dorset, where Polly grew up. The lyrics are about Catherine of Alexandria, who was tortured on the breaking wheel by a Roman emperor (hence the name for the firework), but who ultimately defied his cruelty by sticking to her beliefs and refusing his marriage proposal.” I thought the metaphor was a bit laboured through the book but, as one reviewer said: “Catherine Wheel examines how some women continue to torture themselves and each other using tools created by men, for men, even as they struggle (but not without hope) to end the vicious cycle.” (https://theconversation.com/where-in-...)
I felt like the book didn't know if it wanted to be a psychological thriller or something a bit deeper - and so it didn't quite work as well as it might have if it had solidly opted for one of these options.
The novel alternates the perspectives of Kate and Vee. “The comparisons highlight their insecurities: both women see the best of each other and the worst of themselves.” (https://theconversation.com/where-in-...) One reviewer says: “Her portraits of the modern woman, demure and masked through her romantic experiences, left me wincing with recognition: She’s not good with anger. They didn’t do anger in her family […] So now, she deals with upsets and injuries by remaining calm, keeping her distance, or complying to the point of self-erasure.“ (https://theconversation.com/where-in-...) They also noted: “Catherine Wheel is a natural evolution of the genre of #Metoo fiction. It’s not about violence done to women’s bodies by men – or not solely about that – but about women’s minds and lives, and their self image.”
In an interview, Liz Evans said: “I have been an avid reader of psychological thrillers for decades, but the ‘Girl’ publishing phenomena introduced a wave of psychobitch characters, which I found extremely problematic. Unlike the more psychologically nuanced protagonists in books by Erin Kelly, Helen Dunmore, and Harriet Lane, suddenly novels were teeming with psychotic, homicidal women, hellbent on revenge. I found this reductive, psychologically inaccurate, and ultimately misogynistic. Having trained as a psychodynamic psychotherapist, I felt very strongly about this, and decided I could do a better job!” (https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk...)
The tension ratchets up when Vee goes out with an older man Tom, an artist. This is, after all, a psychological thriller so what could go wrong? Kate begins to interfere in that relationship. I wanted to feel more empathy for Kate – who had been through a lot but it wasn’t a bog feature of the novel – deliberately. Evans says: “I wanted to create unlikeable, damaged, vulnerable characters who were not psychopathic, and who could instil a level of empathy in the reader, while simultaneously horrifying them. I wanted them to be relatable – but only just!”
The Catherine Wheel was a medieval torture device used on St Catherine by the Roman emperor. The book is set near St Catherine’s Chapel, a tiny ancient chapel in Dorset, where young women came to offer up prayers to find a husband. Evans said that she was inspired by “PJ Harvey’s song, The Wind which is about the tiny ancient chapel in Dorset, where Polly grew up. The lyrics are about Catherine of Alexandria, who was tortured on the breaking wheel by a Roman emperor (hence the name for the firework), but who ultimately defied his cruelty by sticking to her beliefs and refusing his marriage proposal.” I thought the metaphor was a bit laboured through the book but, as one reviewer said: “Catherine Wheel examines how some women continue to torture themselves and each other using tools created by men, for men, even as they struggle (but not without hope) to end the vicious cycle.” (https://theconversation.com/where-in-...)
I felt like the book didn't know if it wanted to be a psychological thriller or something a bit deeper - and so it didn't quite work as well as it might have if it had solidly opted for one of these options.
August 26, 2024
Why do women seem to not want to let go of men that treat them so poorly? Kate never recovered from Max leaving her for Vee, who is pregnant with Max’s child. So what does she do? Move to Bridgewell to befriend Vee, where she lives separated from Max with Iona (Max’s daughter). Kate and Vee seem to connect over their scathing of men. There are a lot of inner thoughts of Kate and Vee tossed throughout this story, though they don’t seem to add to any drama.
Both Kate and Vee were not strong or assertive women. They were quite wishy-washy and seemed to be very ordinary. Kate was more aggressive and vengeful than Vee, with an obsessive streak. Writing a book to explore how women’s emotions are captured in thrillers is an interesting way to write a thriller and illustrate how actions have much darker consequences than first realised. The past of both Kate and Vee provided good context for the present time and also created a heightened sense of tension in their relationship which they were both oblivious to until it was too late.
The introduction of Tom, a potential love interest for Vee was unsettling. And when Kate decided to also make a connection with him, for her own conniving purposes, it become a little more obscure and twisted. The main concern I had with Tom was that his backstory was not fleshed out enough. Even though this book was concentrating predominantly around the emotions and mental well-being of Kate and Vee, this background info could have provided more strengths to their actions and thoughts.
A thought-provoking story to read
Both Kate and Vee were not strong or assertive women. They were quite wishy-washy and seemed to be very ordinary. Kate was more aggressive and vengeful than Vee, with an obsessive streak. Writing a book to explore how women’s emotions are captured in thrillers is an interesting way to write a thriller and illustrate how actions have much darker consequences than first realised. The past of both Kate and Vee provided good context for the present time and also created a heightened sense of tension in their relationship which they were both oblivious to until it was too late.
The introduction of Tom, a potential love interest for Vee was unsettling. And when Kate decided to also make a connection with him, for her own conniving purposes, it become a little more obscure and twisted. The main concern I had with Tom was that his backstory was not fleshed out enough. Even though this book was concentrating predominantly around the emotions and mental well-being of Kate and Vee, this background info could have provided more strengths to their actions and thoughts.
A thought-provoking story to read
July 24, 2024
This was good! Definitely a psychological thriller, but with a twist of something extra that really allows you to see through the characters. see into them, really. Initially this feels like a slow burn, but there is an ominous undercurrent that will keep you invested into the second half of the book where the story becomes so fascinatingly complex, with really honest vulnerability.
Kate, who was abandoned by her long term partner Max five years ago (for another woman, another pregnant woman) is rebuilding herself and moving on, however she is still fragile, still looking for answers, so when an opportunity presents for her to relocate to the small town of Bridgewell, where Vee, and her daughter live it seems like the best option for answers.
Vee is equally trying to pick up the pieces of her life after kicking Max out, he has monthly visits with Iona but seems to keep making his way into Vee’s bed.
Inevitably the two woman cross paths, and the story that unfolds is chilling, eye opening and genuinely moving. There’s a lot to take in. The ending suggests a sequel?! I’d be first in line to read it if that’s the case.
The narration for the most part was really enjoyable, there were a few minor sound issues, but nothing to detract from the story.
Thank you to Wavesound by W F Howes via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ELC
Kate, who was abandoned by her long term partner Max five years ago (for another woman, another pregnant woman) is rebuilding herself and moving on, however she is still fragile, still looking for answers, so when an opportunity presents for her to relocate to the small town of Bridgewell, where Vee, and her daughter live it seems like the best option for answers.
Vee is equally trying to pick up the pieces of her life after kicking Max out, he has monthly visits with Iona but seems to keep making his way into Vee’s bed.
Inevitably the two woman cross paths, and the story that unfolds is chilling, eye opening and genuinely moving. There’s a lot to take in. The ending suggests a sequel?! I’d be first in line to read it if that’s the case.
The narration for the most part was really enjoyable, there were a few minor sound issues, but nothing to detract from the story.
Thank you to Wavesound by W F Howes via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ELC
April 22, 2025
Catherine Wheel centres around two women who are connected having both previously dated the same man, and plunges into deep emotions like grief, anger, betrayal, belonging and friendship. I always love a book that reflects people realistically - the good and the bad. To me, a MC doesn’t have to be all good, or likeable to hold your attention and keep you turning the pages and that nuance is what made this book so enjoyable for me.
This book certainly lives up to the title of a psychological thriller, and I am unsurprised to read that the author is a psychotherapist.
A friend lent me this book and it had been sitting patiently on my shelf forever until I finally picked it up thinking I really needed to return it. And now I’m wondering what took me so long to pick it up. I loved it.
This book certainly lives up to the title of a psychological thriller, and I am unsurprised to read that the author is a psychotherapist.
A friend lent me this book and it had been sitting patiently on my shelf forever until I finally picked it up thinking I really needed to return it. And now I’m wondering what took me so long to pick it up. I loved it.
August 15, 2024
From the very first page, I knew I was going to enjoy this book.
What a perfect premise- the person you are stalking shows up in your world and you have a legitimate reason to integrate yourself into their world. Such a clever way to start this engrossing, nail biting thriller.
Meet Kate- a brittle, damaged individual and her nemesis Vee- warm and funny, but also broken and their common connection is their ex-partner Max. A narcissist, gaslighter and frankly awful human who has managed to destroy the self esteem of both these women.
Kate wants to understand why Max ended their relationship, convinced Vee was the catalyst. Vee, totally clueless about Kate and how she arrived in her life, feels trapped by her past association with Max because their union produced a daughter, Iona.
Vee’s attraction to artist Tom is understandable- she is lonely and when he starts paying her attention, she begins to feel she is actually loveable. Unfortunately, she ignores the warning signs- for he is just like Max, only his character is even darker and more dangerous.
This book had me up late at night reaching for answers at every twist and turn. I loved it.
July 21, 2024
Catherine Wheel is a psychological thriller with an ever present ominous atmosphere. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of two women who are linked by their past relationships with the same man. The emotional damage caused to both of them by Max is revealed as the story unfolds. I found both Kate and Vee not likeable characters particularly Kate with her desire to seek revenge on Vee. However, the form this revenge will take is not made clear and is part of the mystery that keeps the reader absorbed. Another man enters the lives of both women and learning about him and his motives adds another layer to the cryptic plot that builds with greater pace in the second half of the novel.
As the story progressed, I became more engaged with the fate of all the characters especially when the tragic past history of the nearby St Catherine’s Chapel became interconnected with the present. The collision of past and present led to a satisfying conclusion to this suspenseful story. With thanks to Better Reading and Ultimo Press for the preview copy to review. #BRPreview
As the story progressed, I became more engaged with the fate of all the characters especially when the tragic past history of the nearby St Catherine’s Chapel became interconnected with the present. The collision of past and present led to a satisfying conclusion to this suspenseful story. With thanks to Better Reading and Ultimo Press for the preview copy to review. #BRPreview
July 21, 2024
While I found this book was a slow burn initially, it certainly picked up the pace towards the end. The two main characters, Kate and Vee, give their point of view in alternate chapters and it soon becomes apparent that they have something in common - a man. But it’s not just a coincidence that their lives become entwined – more is at play here. The author provides snippets of Kate and Vee’s past, drawing the reader in, and with their newly minted friendship bringing them closer together, it creates a tension between the past, the present and the future for these two women.
I did find the first half of the book a bit slow, with perhaps a little too much introspection from both characters, but I would urge the reader to hang in and enjoy the development of the characters and the improved tempo as the plot unfolds and more action takes place in the second half of the book. It’s worth the wait.
I did find the first half of the book a bit slow, with perhaps a little too much introspection from both characters, but I would urge the reader to hang in and enjoy the development of the characters and the improved tempo as the plot unfolds and more action takes place in the second half of the book. It’s worth the wait.
August 2, 2024
So this book is about Kate, who was abandoned five years ago by her partner, Max, and she is now trying to make a connection with Vee, her replacement. My first auto response was, "Really?? Why..??"😁
On top of that, this Vee is still invested into Max as well despite the fact that they were no longer together, too.
You'll be in a tangle plot of:
* Kate, who is still wondering why her ex picked Vee over her.
* Vee who seems to have a co-dependency issue with her ex
* And, two d**khead, Max & Tom.
Why did I pick this book? The synopsis is intriguing, and I wanted to know more about Kate and how far she'll go into Vee's life. Another thing is the title - Catherine Wheel - it picked more interest as to why the author picked this title.
I really didn't know where the story was going, but I totally invested into the story, especially the vulnerability of female characters. And I love how the long buried past secret interconnected with the twist tragedy at the end of the story.
On top of that, this Vee is still invested into Max as well despite the fact that they were no longer together, too.
You'll be in a tangle plot of:
* Kate, who is still wondering why her ex picked Vee over her.
* Vee who seems to have a co-dependency issue with her ex
* And, two d**khead, Max & Tom.
Why did I pick this book? The synopsis is intriguing, and I wanted to know more about Kate and how far she'll go into Vee's life. Another thing is the title - Catherine Wheel - it picked more interest as to why the author picked this title.
I really didn't know where the story was going, but I totally invested into the story, especially the vulnerability of female characters. And I love how the long buried past secret interconnected with the twist tragedy at the end of the story.
August 15, 2024
This solid domestic thriller weaves a horrifying tale, told from the POV of two women who have a scary connection
Kate has started to get her life back on track after her ex Max left her for another women
She has moved and is now teaching Yoga and appears to have moved on from her controlling ex
Vee appears to be juggling the single working mother life effortlessly. She really enjoys her job, has some wonderful friends, her daughter Iona is thriving and there is a new art associate Tom who has started to show her some interest. Is she ready to take the next step?
Kate has started to really become a solid friend to Vee, looking after Iona occasionally and listening to her quips about her ex, Iona’s father
As the two become closer, Kate can’t understand why Max left her for Vee? What is so special about her? And why did he agree to have a child with Vee and not her?
Still pining for Max, Kate builds Vee’s trust and plans to destroy her whatever it takes and make her pay for ruining her life..
This book had so many intricate layers, split into three parts you feared for Vee and Iona as every chapter finished. Kate coming more out from the shadows at times left my heart rate soaring. The UK backdrop added the extra eerie character that kept you glued to the very end
Thank you @ultimopress for my copy of this book to review
Kate has started to get her life back on track after her ex Max left her for another women
She has moved and is now teaching Yoga and appears to have moved on from her controlling ex
Vee appears to be juggling the single working mother life effortlessly. She really enjoys her job, has some wonderful friends, her daughter Iona is thriving and there is a new art associate Tom who has started to show her some interest. Is she ready to take the next step?
Kate has started to really become a solid friend to Vee, looking after Iona occasionally and listening to her quips about her ex, Iona’s father
As the two become closer, Kate can’t understand why Max left her for Vee? What is so special about her? And why did he agree to have a child with Vee and not her?
Still pining for Max, Kate builds Vee’s trust and plans to destroy her whatever it takes and make her pay for ruining her life..
This book had so many intricate layers, split into three parts you feared for Vee and Iona as every chapter finished. Kate coming more out from the shadows at times left my heart rate soaring. The UK backdrop added the extra eerie character that kept you glued to the very end
Thank you @ultimopress for my copy of this book to review
November 15, 2024
🎡Catherine Wheel - Liz Evans🎡
Catherine Wheel is a psychological thriller which explores the impact of coercive control, motherhood, abortion, and trauma. Fans of revenge thrillers will eat this up!
This book took me a little while to get into and I really couldn’t stand some of the characters, but I think that was the point 🙈 I was getting so worked up and annoyed at every move they made 😂
What you can expect:
🎡 Psychological suspense
🎡 Motherhood
🎡 Female friendship
🎡 Revenge
Whilst I struggled to connect with the characters within this book, there is no doubt that it tackled some extremely important topics.
Thank you so much to @ultimopress and the author for sending me a copy to review - I am beyond grateful! 🙏🏻
#lizzieslittlelibrary #catherinewheel #lizevans #ultimopress #bookreview #bookstagram #aussiebookstagrammer #booklover #bookworm #readmorebooks #aussiebookworm #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #booksofig #bookaholic #igreads #book #books #aussiefiction
Catherine Wheel is a psychological thriller which explores the impact of coercive control, motherhood, abortion, and trauma. Fans of revenge thrillers will eat this up!
This book took me a little while to get into and I really couldn’t stand some of the characters, but I think that was the point 🙈 I was getting so worked up and annoyed at every move they made 😂
What you can expect:
🎡 Psychological suspense
🎡 Motherhood
🎡 Female friendship
🎡 Revenge
Whilst I struggled to connect with the characters within this book, there is no doubt that it tackled some extremely important topics.
Thank you so much to @ultimopress and the author for sending me a copy to review - I am beyond grateful! 🙏🏻
#lizzieslittlelibrary #catherinewheel #lizevans #ultimopress #bookreview #bookstagram #aussiebookstagrammer #booklover #bookworm #readmorebooks #aussiebookworm #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #booksofig #bookaholic #igreads #book #books #aussiefiction
August 7, 2024
This novel for me started slow and confusing. There are two main characters Kate and Vee who are linked only by an ex boyfriend, Max. Max was a womaniser and controlling. Max left Kate to be with Vee who became pregnant. Once Vee gave birth to their daughter Iona Max moved on. Kate, who I would call a stalker, moved to the same town as Vee and Iona to get revenge and find out what Max saw in her. Kate befriends Vee but does not reveal her past with Max. The two woman get involved with another man Tom who has the same characteristics and is just as big a player as Max. They realise that it's not them but the men they are choosing to date and gain more confidence and self-respect for themselves. The second half of the novel improves and you gain more insight into the characters. Without giving anything away the plot unfolds and gets more thrilling so it's worth persevering to the end. Thank you to Better Reading for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel. #BRPreview
July 22, 2024
This excellently written and paced novel is filled with moments of subtle cruelty from Max, delicious in its ability to have the reader screaming at both Kate & Vee to be rid of Max's power over them both.
✨️Even though Kate comes across as cold, she is still someone facing a loss that rocked her to the core, and her character has been written so well.
✨️This book is both touching and thrilling and highlights the power that some men can have over women and their own inability to deal with rejection. ✨️Another fabulous psychological thriller, layer upon layer of tense, subtle anger and human emotion.
✨️Even though Kate comes across as cold, she is still someone facing a loss that rocked her to the core, and her character has been written so well.
✨️This book is both touching and thrilling and highlights the power that some men can have over women and their own inability to deal with rejection. ✨️Another fabulous psychological thriller, layer upon layer of tense, subtle anger and human emotion.
August 16, 2024
I would describe this as a domestic drama rather than a psychological thriller due to the slow burn element of the book. The pace did pick up somewhat towards the end however which made it quite compelling.
The book centres around two women, Kate and Vee, who share a common ex, Max. Kate enters Vee's life obsessed with establishing why Max may have left her but things never go quite to plan!
Themes of revenge, stalkers, toxic masculinity, gaslighting and suicide along with complex characters and great narration all add to the enjoyment of this read.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this audiobook and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
The book centres around two women, Kate and Vee, who share a common ex, Max. Kate enters Vee's life obsessed with establishing why Max may have left her but things never go quite to plan!
Themes of revenge, stalkers, toxic masculinity, gaslighting and suicide along with complex characters and great narration all add to the enjoyment of this read.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this audiobook and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
July 16, 2024
A multi layered tale of affairs and deception. It all starts with Max a man who has multiple affairs. Kate in the beginning seems to be unstable after Max leaves her for Vee. Kate becomes obsessed with getting to know Vee. I enjoyed the complexities involved in the plot and the depth of the characters feelings. It's moving and thought provoking ideas are welcome to realise that your actions have consequences. It's thriller style had my head and emotions racing especially at the nail biting explosion of a ending.
July 26, 2024
Thanks Netgalley for my copy.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The main thing that stopped me from giving it t stars is all of Kate's fat shaming because her boyfriend ran off with someone who wasn't a size 0. It was disconcerting that she felt that was such a major issue rather than the fact he was a pig. But overall, I liked the story and enjoyed the twists.
Happy to read more by Evans.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The main thing that stopped me from giving it t stars is all of Kate's fat shaming because her boyfriend ran off with someone who wasn't a size 0. It was disconcerting that she felt that was such a major issue rather than the fact he was a pig. But overall, I liked the story and enjoyed the twists.
Happy to read more by Evans.
April 26, 2025
It wasn't as suspense-filled as my usual reads, but I loved the shorter chapters, the dual POV, and that addictive just one more chapter vibe. There were times I was yearning for something to happen because it slowed down a little, but overall it had me hooked.
You could really feel the trauma and desperation from both characters, and the DRAMA was so good.
A solid, emotional, character-driven thriller, I’m glad I picked it up!
You could really feel the trauma and desperation from both characters, and the DRAMA was so good.
A solid, emotional, character-driven thriller, I’m glad I picked it up!
March 5, 2025
3.5. Did this for the first meeting of a new Crime book club at work, and people really did not enjoy that it was not detective fiction lol. But I thought it was a well-observed, readable psychological thriller that sagged a bit in the middle and left me with a few logic questions at the end, but an assured first novel from a very good writer.
August 3, 2024
This was a wonderful surprise! I won a preview copy from Better reading and thoroughly immersed myself in it over the course of two days
Alternating between main characters Kate and Vee, this one touches on quite a few subjects with a few twists thrown in too..
Alternating between main characters Kate and Vee, this one touches on quite a few subjects with a few twists thrown in too..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews