The Companion

by Jo Crow

Landing a job caring for the unresponsive wife of celebrity podcaster Colin Harrington could be the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. I get a place to live, a paycheck and a way to salvage my comatose career.

But caring for Colin’s wife Kara is testing the limits of my sanity. Doors seem to open and close on their own, shadows shift in the corners of my vision, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched.

I wouldn’t mind if I knew it was Colin watching. He’s been through hell, and it has been years since his wife’s accident. Maybe it’s time he moved on—and maybe I’m the one who can help him.

Then I find a tape that reveals a shocking truth. Someone in the house has a dark secret—one they’ll do anything to protect. But they’re not the only ones with something to hide.

I have a secret of my own and I won’t be silenced easily.

Perfect for fans of The Housemaid, Verity, and Gone Girl, this fast-paced, darkly addictive thriller is packed with secrets, suspense, and jaw-dropping twists.

Psychological thriller readers are

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "...completely unexpected ending. Believe me when I say, WOW just wow!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "...I was utterly blindsided by what I discovered in chapter 59."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "...keeping you guessing and questioning everyone's motives right up to the end. I couldn't stop flipping pages."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "JAW DROPPING! I could not put this book down! This is by far the best book I have read in a long time!!"

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Amazon

392 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2024

About the author

Jo Crow crafts chilling psychological thrillers that delve into the shadows of everyday life, where dark secrets and twisted motives lurk just beneath the surface. Her stories capture the eerie tension of family life, where the familiar can suddenly become dangerous.

When she’s not writing, Jo is a mom of two, often drawing inspiration from the unpredictability of parenthood. She enjoys curling up with a good thriller, taking her golden retriever on misty evening walks, and imagining the hidden fears that keep us awake at night.

Connect with Jo on Facebook, visit her website, or sign up for her mailing list for exclusive sneak peeks and updates.

Reviews

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Truthfully, I didn’t care about what I might find. There was nothing I could discover that would scare me away from this job."

"Kara continued to ignore me, focusing instead on a potted plant in the corner of the room. That plant would most likely have been a better conversationalist. But there was also an underlying tension. Like a coiled toy ready to bounce. Kara’s sudden, jerky movements always had me on edge, certain she would knock something over. Kara was a jump scare waiting to happen."


Fast-paced domestic psychological thriller.
Anna - a young and ambitious woman with a sordid past employed to be a companion for a rich podcaster's sick wife.
Colin -the husband, thinking his wife is getting so bored pent up in her room, decided to hire someone young and lively to keep her wife, Karra, company. 'To share infectious Joie de Vivre and inspire rapid recovery.'
Mary- first wife who died from suicide
Well thought-out plot and character development..The characters are mysterious and well-written. Kept me second guessing all throughout. Included POVs from Mary and Karra through recorded cassette tapes to help piece it all together.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.🖤

3.75✨

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I was learning wealth placed you beyond the repercussions of certain mistakes,” (p. 43).

This right here is why I love reading so much. When you randomly find an author you’ve never heard of before and you fall in love with their words, their books, their stories.

I love finding those “lesser known” authors whose work deserves some light. So here is that light: SHINE BRIGHT AND GO FAR. Because every thriller reader ever needs to read this book. And if not, I’ll pin you to a board like a butterfly IYKYK🦋.

Anna has just been evicted and is desperate to be hired as a live-in companion for a famous actress who, from a tragic fall, needs 24/7 care. Anna is ecstatic when she lands the job. It also comes with perks - one being access to a recording studio - just what she needs as she has aspirations of becoming a famous voice actor.

But Anna almost immediately starts to feel that things are off in this house. The nurse absolutely hates her and tries to get her fired at very turn. Her room keeps getting ransacked, and she’s been finding hidden cassette tapes all around the house. What is happening here.

If you loved Verity, or if you hated Verity, you need to read this book. It’s Verity vibes for sure but a much better overall story. I loved Verity so I can’t say it was better-better, but wow this was a fun read!

Already ordered all of this author’s previous books and can’t wait to see what they write up next.

This book will make you laugh, will have you guessing and wondering, but most importantly it’ll have you flipping those pages consuming each chapter as if it was your favorite dish. Eat up.

[Donna Mallery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, there are several books with this same theme-caring for a husband’s disabled wife. And most of them are alike in many ways such as plots, characters, etc. Still, I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read with a satisfying end.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say this book rates a 3.5 for me.

The storyline was okay, and the book is well written, but I thought it was all very predictable. Perhaps it's because I've just read too many books with a similar plot, but I found myself struggling to want to keep picking this one up.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Pheadra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read about Anna who gets a job looking after Kara, a famous actress now confined to a wheelchair, following an accident. A bit slow in the middle but had a few interesting twists. I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily. 4 stars

[Victoria Aristilde · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5⭐️

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Stunning psychological suspense with a final, heartdropping twist. I need to read more of Jo Crow's suspense novels!

[Kayla_Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verity vibes but darker

[shereads_theworld · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a slow start, with the pacing not really picking up until about 30% into the story. While I was hopeful that the remainder would be more engaging, unfortunately, it failed to hold my attention. Despite an interesting premise and a cast of intriguing characters, I found myself predicting the outcome long before I was halfway through. This lack of surprises made it difficult to stay invested, especially for a suspense or thriller novel where twists and unexpected turns are crucial to maintaining suspense.

While the plot had potential, the overall execution left me wanting more. Ultimately, it didn’t deliver the kind of thrilling experience I was hoping for, and I was left feeling a bit disappointed.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special thank you to BookSirens, Jo Crow and the publisher for an ARC of this riveting thriller. I absolutely enjoyed this book. The characters and story were interesting and kept me engaged. I like how the story was told from one perspective, and later shifted to another perspective to tie the story together. The author also included some nice twists that were not predictable. Overall, 4.5 star. I would recommend this book.

[Ariane Baet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very similar to Verity and The Housemaid, just the same vibes and same feelings were invoked while reading. Since I’ve read similar books, I was able to sense where the twists were, but the twist at the end was out of the blue! I usually am not keen on multiple POVs in a book because I get confused especially when I take breaks, however the author did this well, made it very easy to read and digest, and very easy to want to keep reading!

[BAMF_Book_Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by Jo Crow and OMG; The Companion was absolutely amazing. The Companion kept me second-guessing everything I thought I knew, and I was utterly blindsided by what I discovered in chapter 59. The Companion was very well written; I loved the plot and the main characters. I can’t wait to get my hands on the other six books that Jo Crow has released.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic! It was twisty, suspenseful and overall a very fast-paced read! I loved the characters and the plot and it was an unexpected ending. A must read for any psychological thriller fans! I received an ARC from the publisher for this book- thank you! This has been one of my favorite thrillers ever!

[Amy Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. It kept me guessing the entire was through the book. I can't wait to read more by Jo Crow.

[Alessia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Molly Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delivered everything I wanted and so much more! Initially, it reminded me of a mixture of Verity and The Housemaid and I was worried it was going to be a predictable read but it wasn’t at all! This novel was perfectly paced and gave the reader just enough information to keep you interested but not too much as to spoil the plot twist. I could not put this down and I throughly enjoyed every minute of this read. I will definitely be reading more by Jo Crow.

[Andrea Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75, rounded to 4

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Companion sounded intriguing and I was curious about it because I also have disabilities and experiences of being cared for by different people.

Kara’s home is impressive.

I felt uneasy around Flora. I liked Micky.

Jo Crow is a new-to-me author and I was hooked from start to finish with this novel.

The caring experience is realistically portrayed, as are Kara’s disability and needs.

Thanks to Jo Crow.

5 stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Betty Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book had me hooked from the first page to the mind blowing ending! The twists and turns had me guessing and not knowing who to trust! A definite must read for anyone who is a fan of psychological suspense. I have read multiple stories by this author but Jo Crow is at the top of her game and absolutely outdid herself with this one!

[Joanne Holland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read half the book and have got to the point where I don't care about what happens. Nothing is happening, I'm bored I've had enough

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Albright is at the end of all hope for her future, all her belongings have been thrown out of her apartment, her last chance at a voice over part looking likes its gone, as her chance at a sound studio as a perk of a job interview to be a famous actress’ companion looks lost. Until a phone call from Colin Harrington changes everything. She gets the job as companion to his wife Kara, a former actress, who suffered an unfortunate accident, falling from a balcony at their home whilst heavily inebriated. She ended up with multiple broken bones and a possible head injury, which has left her unable to move or speak. Colin believes she will recover one day and has a nurse doing her medication, and now Anna to act as a companion and keep her company during the day, hopefully sparking some interest in life from Kara. It is Anna’s last chance to get her life back on track, after her career suffered a lot of blowback from an incident with a director, who had promised her a role in exchange for certain favours! When he turned round afterwards and put all the blame on her, it ruined her reputation and stopped her ability to get any other work. She has to try and prove to her father that this choice of life is not wrong, and that she can make him proud. He is the one who gave her the idea of the job, through his Hollywood contacts.

But when Anna gets the job, she finds herself in a strange position, as the nurse Flora seems to hate her and wants her gone and Colin seems to believe his wife Kara will suddenly get better and make a comeback in the acting world, a perfect way of revamping her career, which had been getting lots of bad press just before her accident. Colin acts as the doting husband, but stories of his previous wife Mary and her close friendship to Kara, bring about a few doubts about this perfect scenario. He has state of the art security all over the huge house and strangely disturbing artwork he says is Kara’s choice, all over the house. Apart from a different piece in Kara’s bedroom, which turns out to be a present from Mary to Kara, shortly before her suicide. She finds Colin really attractive, which considering his roles in Hollywood and his podcast, plus wealth, is easy to understand. She wants what he has and sees the only way for that to happen is for Kara to be got rid of, to be put in a home, so she can have Colin. Colin seems too keen on his wife’s recovery at some point, but also sees to start coming over to Anna’s view at other times. Incidents occur in the house that upset Anna and make her feel she is being watched at every turn. Flora has a way of blaming Anna for everything that goes on with Kara, using Anna’s past secret to keep her from complaining to Colin. When she unexpectedly finds a cassette tape, her curiosity can’t stop her from finding a way to listen to it. Whilst they have the name Kara written on them, they are in fact the voice of Colin’s first wife Mary and her de-programming therapy, which shows her believing someone was out to get her.

From comments of they or us, out to get her, not just Colin, it seems there was much more behind her suicide and kara’s subsequent accident than first thought and she is being fed breadcrumbs, which may allow her to figure it out, before she becomes the possible third victim of Colin’s programming! Someone wants to keep the secrets this house is hiding and there are some very powerful men behind Colin, who will do anything to ensure their plans and actions over the years, are kept secret. She thought she had an outside ally in Mickey, who offered her the voiceover role, but he may well be more twisted up in everything than she first knew. Colin works to ensure she is isolated and fully into a future with him giving her everything, including the film future she thought she deserved. She will however learn that everything you wish for has a price and she may be about to pay the ultimate one for her desires. Nothing you think you know is happening in the story, will actually turn out as you thought, as there are multiple twists in play to keep you guessing. An ultimate show stopper at the end that brings even more danger to Anna and leaves her thinking of doing something to save herself, as she did in the past! A psychological drama that will start off slow and seemingly normal, but soon turns into so much more and pulls you in!

I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout, and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[R.L Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright, so The Companion by Jo Crow? This book totally drew me in! It’s about Anna, who’s down on her luck and struggling with her career as a voice actress. When she gets the chance to be a live-in companion for Kara, the unresponsive wife of a well-known podcaster named Colin, she figures it’s the lifeline she desperately needs. But, of course, nothing is as simple as it seems, and she quickly finds herself in way deeper than she bargained for.

From the start, the setup is both intriguing and creepy. Colin, is this charismatic but strange guy who seems to have his life together on the surface, he’s got a successful podcast, a reputation, and a certain charm that makes Anna’s head spin. But there’s something about him that just feels off. Colin’s way too controlled, and as the story goes on, he becomes almost unsettlingly cryptic. You’re constantly wondering, What’s his real story? He seems to care for his wife, Kara, but at the same time, there’s a distance, a secrecy in his manner that makes you question everything he says and does.

Then there’s Kara, the wife Anna is hired to care for. She doesn’t speak or respond, but her presence is so intense. Crow makes her feel like this haunting figure, even though she’s technically “there” in the story. Kara’s silence is full of mystery, and it’s like she’s holding onto secrets that Anna is just itching to uncover. The whole arrangement is weird from the start, and as Anna settles in, you feel her discomfort growing almost like she’s stumbled into a trap that she can’t easily escape.

The house itself is the perfect backdrop for all this tension. It’s isolated, grand, and has that creepy, gothic feel, where every hallway and shadow adds to the sense of being watched. Jo Crow totally nails the atmosphere; you can practically feel the weight of the house pressing down on Anna. It’s eerie, it’s tense, and the isolation just amplifies every strange thing that happens.

Anna’s character is so relatable, she’s flawed and struggling, just trying to make ends meet, and this job is like her last chance. I loved how Crow gave her these moments of vulnerability, where she’s unsure and questioning herself, but also moments of strength, as she starts piecing together what might really be going on. She’s curious, determined, and sometimes a bit too trusting, which makes her journey both frustrating and compelling. You want her to keep digging for answers, but you’re also constantly on edge, wondering what the consequences will be.

The interactions between Anna and Colin are hands-down some of the best parts of the book. He’s magnetic, but in a way that makes you uncomfortable, like he’s hiding something just beneath the surface. His control over Anna, subtle as it is, becomes more apparent as she spends more time there. It’s almost like a game to him, which makes their exchanges feel tense and unpredictable. You’re never quite sure whether he’s genuinely concerned for Kara or if he has some darker agenda.

One thing that would’ve made the book even better? I would have loved a bit more backstory on Colin and Kara’s relationship. The mystery surrounding Kara’s silence and Colin’s strange behavior is so fascinating, but I kept wanting more glimpses into their past, what really happened to bring them to this point? And maybe just a few scenes that allowed the suspense to linger a bit longer would have amped up the intensity even more.

In the end, The Companion delivers everything you want in a psychological thriller. Jo Crow knows exactly how to weave suspense with a slow burn, keeping you guessing and questioning everyone’s motives right up to the end. I couldn’t stop flipping pages, I told myself just one more chapter way too many times, but it was worth it!

[Lozz’s Random Reads McKenzie - Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unresponsive Actress Wife, Handsome Successful Podcaster Husband, Young Ambitious Actress Companion

The Companion

An interesting domestic suspense thriller, which offers up an intriguing twist towards the end.

The story, as a whole, had its moments.
Some parts were better than others.

The plot as a whole was fascinating enough to keep me engaged.

A young, ambitious, voice actress, Anna Albright, struggling to be successful in Hollywood.
Finds herself being manipulated, and taken advantage of by a dubious producer.

A producer who, she soon realises could still be beneficial to her plan for success.
But!
When he gets a little too handsy, he ends up in hospital, then a nursing home after overdosing on fentanyl, leaving Anna, in the eyes of the press and public, possibly guilty of assisting him with his habit.

After being kicked out of her lousy accommodation, with little cash, and a pushy parent undermining her choices, demanding she return home, Anna turns to her friend Mickey, who is producing his own work based on a well known video game.

If she could only get access to a sound studio, she would be set to star.

So when an amazing job comes to light to be a companion to well known wellness podcast, ( and hottie ) Colin Harrington’s unresponsive famous, actress wife Kara.

Anna fudges her CV in an attempt to get the job.

As if being able to live in their lavish, ultra modern, state of the art house isn’t motivation enough, the fact the Colin has his own “ in house” basement recording studio that would be available for her and Mickey’s use, it another reason.

However, once Anna has the job secured, it would appear that other problems arise.

Flora, Kara’s nurse for one.
Along with the fact that Anna has no clue how to actually care for an unresponsive adult female patient.

Then, there is the usual happenings around the house, her discovery from Mickey that Colin’s first wife, Mary had died under suspicious circumstances, then i her room being trashed.

Between the odd happenings, the controlling nurse Flora, and her awkward interactions with her charge, Kara, and her growing attraction/.flirtations towards Colin, Anna’s days are a struggle.

This is only compounded by the sudden discovery of some old cassette tapes marked with the name of “ Kara”

As the story continues, Anna realises her own life is in some very serious danger from forces beyond her control.

If you are a fan of Colleen Hoovers “ Verity” you may also enjoy this story, as the plots have some similarities.

The plot was good, however, the Anna, Colin, relationship “attraction,” development, in its early stages, sometimes felt a little rushes, and clunky.

Then, things seems to get back on track

This story also has an interesting sting in the tail towards the end that was not expected also.

It wasn’t a bad story, but there were just a few elements that let it down
Three stars

[Jessica J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5 rounded up**
This is my 2nd Jo Crow novel & like the first, I was very invested in the ending. The writing, for the most part, is nicely paced, with plenty of details, while not being too overwhelming descriptive. Jo does a great job giving her characters the perfect amount of backstory & depth, so that know just enough to form your opinions, but not too much that you get bored. As with her novel, The Photographer, this one had a satisfying ending that does not leave you with unanswered questions. These reasons are why I decided to round up.

There are two things that caused my rating to be lower than I hoped. The first being the placement of the "past" chapters. I think it would've been more effective if they were shorter & weaved into the more thrilling chapters (around the time of the chef-prepared dinner of Colin & Anna), so that the reader could begin putting those details into place, while also being on the edge of their seat, waiting to find out what would happen in the present time. Because they came after, it felt like a very slow crawl after a thrilling sprint. It also felt like I was re-reading a lot of information/events I already knew happened.

The 2nd thing was how insanely similar this felt to reading The Only One Left by Riley Sager. I won't give spoilers, so I'll just say that I guessed a huge "twist" at the very beginning because of having read The Only One Left. While that book did a better job of setting the scene of the house, The Companion was better in every other category. That said, they both really bothered me with how incredibly unbelievable that particular twist was. However, Riley Sager seemed to twist bomb the reader with a bunch of nonsense, while Jo Crow made The Companion feel more authentic, realistic, and well thought out.

Overall, I enjoyed this book & look forward to her next! Thank you to BookSirens & Jo Crow for this ARC.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

PSA: I'm calling all the readers who thought Verity by CoHo could have been a great book, yet somehow it wasn’t, and you ended up disappointed and didn't understand what all the hype was about.

This book is everything that Verity wasn’t. It’s well-told, it’s well-written, the plot is great, the characters are great, all the loose ends were tied up nicely, and – the plot twists were REAL twists. Despite the main storyline going in the exact direction those types of stories go, there still were so, so many unexpected twists, and then the ending was so, so satisfying!

I know it’s not exactly fair to begin a book review by comparing it to another book. I know. I know it’s a meh thing to do. Yet somehow that was exactly what I kept thinking as I was reading it. Almost all 400 pages of it.

I spoke to a friend about the book, and we jokingly labeled it “Fake Verity”, but now I think this label wasn’t really the most suitable. It’s not fake. The storyline isn’t exactly that unique and it’s been used before (and after) Verity, just that one book somehow made it. It can retire now. A way better version of the same storyline is here now. This one is the best take on the age-old storyline I have read.
It made me look into what other books this unknown to me author had written before she wrote this one.

My personal favorite here? The characters. The flawed ones, the seemingly dumb ones. Their development, and their morphing into likable/unlikable, into smart/dumb. And then, the depiction of friendships. The depth it goes, even after one of the friends is long gone. The human connections that are formed within the book.

Did I say I’m super glad I got to read this one and found a new to me author who has written this? Yeah, seriously. Go check this one out. And tell all the others, mkay?

[Caroline | dogtailsandcrimetales · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★

“This is the story of how I die.”

Anna Albright is down on her luck. She lost her job, got evicted, and, with no options left, accepts a position as a live-in companion. The job promises a steady income, a roof over her head, and access to a sound studio—something she desperately needs to advance her career in Hollywood.

Kara Harrington, once a highly successful and well-known actress, suffered a horrific accident that ended her career and left her unresponsive and wheelchair-bound. Her husband, Scott, a charismatic and well-connected celebrity podcaster, appears to care deeply about Kara’s well-being and recovery—yet he is overly attentive to Anna.

Anna is immediately attracted to Scott, but she knows nothing will happen as long as Kara is around. When she starts discovering cassette tapes hidden throughout the house, she uncovers a dark truth about the Harringtons.

“I’m getting scared. I have a feeling something terrible is going to happen to me…”

But the Harringtons aren’t the only ones keeping secrets…

This was my first book by Jo Crow, and I didn’t know what to expect from her writing. While the premise was very similar to The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden and Verity by Colleen Hoover, the pacing was slow. As a result, I found the plot too predictable and didn’t connect with any of the characters until I was about 70% through. The emotional connection, depth, and relatability were missing for me throughout most of the book.

It looks like I’m a bit of an outlier in my views. If you’re unfamiliar with the aforementioned books, you’ll likely enjoy this much more than I did.

Thank you BookSirens and Jo Crow for a copy. All opinions are my own.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars

The Companion by Jo Crow gave me serious Verity vibes from the start. This is the first book I've read by this author—I was drawn in by the intriguing cover and premise: a down-on-her-luck woman takes a job as a live-in companion for the unresponsive wife of a famous podcaster, Colin Harrington. It’s the perfect opportunity to reboot her life… or so she thinks. But soon, strange things start happening in the high-tech mansion—creaking doors, shifting shadows, and the undeniable sense that someone is watching. Then she finds a cassette tape that changes everything.

The concept had great potential, and there were glimmers of it throughout. But the story took a while to get going—the first 30% dragged, and although I was hoping it would pick up, it unfortunately never fully gripped me. The suspense just didn’t deliver. I found the plot fairly predictable and figured out the twist well before the halfway point, which made it hard to stay invested.

Anna started off mysterious but quickly became frustrating. Her decisions often felt irrational, and I found it hard to connect with her emotionally until about 70% through the book. I did enjoy Kara’s character, though—she was layered and her role added interest without giving away too much.

While the writing was solid and the idea engaging, too many threads were either underdeveloped or drawn out unnecessarily. The motivations behind Colin’s actions didn’t fully add up for me, and Anna’s backstory—meant to explain her career downfall—didn’t feel realistic. And that “cabal of male characters” hinted at? I really wish that had been explored more, especially towards the end.

Overall, this one was just okay. Well-written, but didn’t quite land the suspense and character connection I was hoping for.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful twisted psychological thriller and it was so addictive. Anna, a vocal actress who is looking for work takes an interview with Colin Harrington. He is looking for a companion for his wife Kara, she was a well-known actress who had a life-altering accident.

Anna is taken on as a friend for Kara, she is incapacitated and only has limited movements. Her nurse Flora, is overly protective and insists that Anna do as she is told to stick to a regime. Kara had been successful there had been rumours about her behaviour and drinking before the accident.

This story is almost like reading a battle of wills as some of the characters clash in their opinions. In some way, this is to be expected as they all live under the same roof. The roof is over a mansion so there is plenty of space but there are times when working together is necessary. There are a couple of unexplained incidents and accusations are made.

While Anna is a companion also has access to a studio, which allows her to work on a project with a director called Mickey. While there she discovers a cassette tape, it is a recording that has been made. After listening to it, Anna begins to wonder about life at Harrington both Manor and the people there and those who visit!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and it was almost like a locked room as the majority of events take place at the manor, there are some trips out but essentially it remains a stationary setting. The characters are limited and there are some that you will automatically take a dislike to. The pacing in this book.is great, there is a settling-in period where Anna finds her feet and understands her role. But even then there is a sense of something being hidden, this sense deepens accusatory continues.

This has done so fearful twists, especially nearer the end of the book. suspicions run high and there is a dangerous feel as the author gradually brings her story to its climax. More twists follow and what I had thought may happen, sort of did but not how I expected.

I came across this on Kindle Unlimited and it was an engrossing book, a thriller with strong leanings towards a psychological thriller and mystery. I really enjoyed this and I would definitely recommend it.

[Bzz Kolla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Relay Publishing for this eCopy to review

The Companion is a gripping psychological thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The blend of psychological tension and suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, making it hard to put the book down.

Landing the job as a companion for Colin Harrington’s unresponsive wife, Kara, felt like a lifeline. Megan was desperate to revive her faltering career and this opportunity seemed perfect. The Harrington mansion, with its high-tech features and eerie atmosphere, was both a sanctuary and a prison. Shadows seemed to move on their own, and Megan couldn’t shake the feeling of being constantly watched.

Colin, a celebrity podcaster, was a man haunted by his past. His wife’s accident had left him in a state of perpetual mourning, but Megan couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. Maybe she could be the one to help him move on. However, as Megan settled into her role, she discovered a cassette tape that revealed a shocking truth. Someone in the house had a dark secret, and they were willing to do anything to protect it. But Megan wasn’t entirely innocent either; she had her own secrets to keep.

The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and the characters were well-developed and intriguing. The eerie setting added to the overall sense of dread and anticipation

[Jenny M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna lands a job as a companion for a former actor and the wife of celebrity podcaster, Colin. Colin's wife, Kara, was in a terrible accident and is largely unresponsive. Anna's job is to be there for Kara, so she doesn't feel so alone. Anna is excited because the job pays well and she has somewhere to live. Plus, the beautiful house also has a sound studio, which provides the perfect chance for Anna to jumpstart her career as a voice actor. However, as time goes on, the gig doesn't seem so great. Caring for Kara (no pun intended) is harder than Anna imagined. Plus, she keeps hearing noises in the night and feels like she is being watched. Although, Colin is pretty easy on the eyes...but, as time goes on, Anna discovers a few secrets buried in the house. And someone wants to keep those secrets hidden.

This book reminded me of The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden and The Nurse by Jenna Kernan. If you have read either of these books, then this one may feel a bit too familiar. I will say that the ending was very twisted and well done! It is a super quick and easy read. Some parts were a bit predictable (maybe because I have read some similar books) but the final twist was really good and surprising!

Thank you Relay Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.