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Don't Look Back: An addictive destination thriller from the author of The Trial
The explosive, unforgettable new thriller from Jo Spain
For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in a Caribbean paradise. It's more than he ever thought he'd deserve.
But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man from her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And, in her terror, Rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment, and only one person he can think to turn to.
Mickey Sheils never expected to hear from Luke again, not after he disappeared the first time. Luke knows Mickey can't deny a woman who needs help, so she promises she'll deal with things - she'll make sure Rose doesn't have to keep running.
But it turns out, some lies are too big to run from.
For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in a Caribbean paradise. It's more than he ever thought he'd deserve.
But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man from her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And, in her terror, Rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment, and only one person he can think to turn to.
Mickey Sheils never expected to hear from Luke again, not after he disappeared the first time. Luke knows Mickey can't deny a woman who needs help, so she promises she'll deal with things - she'll make sure Rose doesn't have to keep running.
But it turns out, some lies are too big to run from.
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 11, 2023
248 people are currently reading
2395 people want to read
About the author
Jo Spain
24 books1,177 followersJo Spain is the author of the bestselling Inspector Tom Reynolds series and several international No. 1 bestselling standalone novels. Her first book, With Our Blessing, was a finalist in the 2015 Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller.
Jo, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, writes TV screenplays full-time. Her first crime series was broadcast on RTE in 2018 and she's currently involved in a number of TV developments including adaptations of her own novels. In 2021, she co-wrote Harry Wild, starring Jane Seymour, with the Emmy award-winning David Logan (airing 2022).
Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and four young children. In her spare time (she has four children, there is no spare time really) she likes to read. Her favourite authors include Pierre Lemaitre, Jo Nesbo, Liane Moriarty, Fred Vargas and Jodi Picoult. She also watches TV obsessively.
Jo thinks up her plots on long runs in the woods. Her husband sleeps with one eye open.
Jo, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, writes TV screenplays full-time. Her first crime series was broadcast on RTE in 2018 and she's currently involved in a number of TV developments including adaptations of her own novels. In 2021, she co-wrote Harry Wild, starring Jane Seymour, with the Emmy award-winning David Logan (airing 2022).
Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and four young children. In her spare time (she has four children, there is no spare time really) she likes to read. Her favourite authors include Pierre Lemaitre, Jo Nesbo, Liane Moriarty, Fred Vargas and Jodi Picoult. She also watches TV obsessively.
Jo thinks up her plots on long runs in the woods. Her husband sleeps with one eye open.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
March 25, 2023
4.5 rounded up
Saint Thérèse, Caribbean. It’s the last day of Luke and Rose Millers’ honeymoon and as he treads the white sand he appreciates normality will arrive all too soon. He’s so relaxed and he’s seen an improvement in Rose in the first few days as she rarely feels safe. However, he also reflects that over the last couple of days something is off kilter, she appears desolate, further thought brings the realisation that she’s actually terrified. He returns to the hotel to talk to her and she says she can’t go home. He’s dead. Who is dead? What’s worse apparently the body is in their London apartment. Luke turns to Mickey Sheils for help, she promises she will despite never expecting to hear from him again. Has Mickey promised the impossible? The story is told in the present day in Saint Thérèse and in several timelines in London and Donegal, Ireland which flows well.
Let’s establish from the start that I love Jo Spain’s novels! As per usual she effortlessly pulls me into the storyline which starts with several wows as the desperate tension is palpable almost immediately. The terror of Rose and the shock that Luke feels at the situation they find themselves in makes for compelling and immersive reading in a plot that’s constantly on the move. I really like the multilayered way the author chooses to tell this story as she makes you feel the dread and trepidation, to wince at some of the madness of decisions but also to feel sympathy and understanding. It’s edgy, twitchy, characters are spooked and vulnerable, on more than one occasion in great danger and clearly not processing rationally. The tension builds to holding your breath levels and thankfully the release with some backtracking to add to your understanding or perhaps not!! On more than one occasion you are left in suspense until the next bombshell drops. The unpredictable plot is clever as it keeps you guessing often wrongly (!), the pace is spot on and of course as this is Jo Spain, there are some excellent jaw dropper twists and I might, just might, have uttered the odd naughty in shock! There are secrets in abundance with situations you don’t see coming some of which end disastrously.
The characterisation is excellent, you realise some are not entirely what they seem so your feelings fluctuate which is very enjoyable. You are full of questions about what some of them are up to which is very intriguing. I love Mickey, she’s someone you would want on your side and she sure goes an extra mile. Others are stand up guys like Detective Marcel Alleyne in Saint Thérèse who is immensely likeable and fair whilst others are devious, vicious and evil.
Overall, this novel takes you on a journey of unforeseen causes and outcomes with the ending dovetailing the plot strands well. There’s everything from love and courage to fear and violence, from humiliation to tragedy and everything in between. It’s another winner for me as it keeps me glued to the pages and often perched on the edge of my seat. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Saint Thérèse, Caribbean. It’s the last day of Luke and Rose Millers’ honeymoon and as he treads the white sand he appreciates normality will arrive all too soon. He’s so relaxed and he’s seen an improvement in Rose in the first few days as she rarely feels safe. However, he also reflects that over the last couple of days something is off kilter, she appears desolate, further thought brings the realisation that she’s actually terrified. He returns to the hotel to talk to her and she says she can’t go home. He’s dead. Who is dead? What’s worse apparently the body is in their London apartment. Luke turns to Mickey Sheils for help, she promises she will despite never expecting to hear from him again. Has Mickey promised the impossible? The story is told in the present day in Saint Thérèse and in several timelines in London and Donegal, Ireland which flows well.
Let’s establish from the start that I love Jo Spain’s novels! As per usual she effortlessly pulls me into the storyline which starts with several wows as the desperate tension is palpable almost immediately. The terror of Rose and the shock that Luke feels at the situation they find themselves in makes for compelling and immersive reading in a plot that’s constantly on the move. I really like the multilayered way the author chooses to tell this story as she makes you feel the dread and trepidation, to wince at some of the madness of decisions but also to feel sympathy and understanding. It’s edgy, twitchy, characters are spooked and vulnerable, on more than one occasion in great danger and clearly not processing rationally. The tension builds to holding your breath levels and thankfully the release with some backtracking to add to your understanding or perhaps not!! On more than one occasion you are left in suspense until the next bombshell drops. The unpredictable plot is clever as it keeps you guessing often wrongly (!), the pace is spot on and of course as this is Jo Spain, there are some excellent jaw dropper twists and I might, just might, have uttered the odd naughty in shock! There are secrets in abundance with situations you don’t see coming some of which end disastrously.
The characterisation is excellent, you realise some are not entirely what they seem so your feelings fluctuate which is very enjoyable. You are full of questions about what some of them are up to which is very intriguing. I love Mickey, she’s someone you would want on your side and she sure goes an extra mile. Others are stand up guys like Detective Marcel Alleyne in Saint Thérèse who is immensely likeable and fair whilst others are devious, vicious and evil.
Overall, this novel takes you on a journey of unforeseen causes and outcomes with the ending dovetailing the plot strands well. There’s everything from love and courage to fear and violence, from humiliation to tragedy and everything in between. It’s another winner for me as it keeps me glued to the pages and often perched on the edge of my seat. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
May 12, 2023
EXCERPT: the expression on her face . . . it's not one Luke has seen before. It's terrifying. She's terrified. As if she's too frightened to speak. And then she finds the words.
'I can't go back,' she says.
Luke suddenly feels very cold. His conscious brain is thinking, whatever it is, it's fine; we can go home and sort it out. Nothing could have happened that warrants this sort of fear.
But Rose is trembling and Luke knows whatever she's about to tell him is not going to be good.
'He's dead,' she says.
ABOUT 'DON'T LOOK BACK': For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in a Caribbean paradise. It's more than he ever thought he'd deserve.
But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man from her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And, in her terror, Rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment, and only one person he can think to turn to.
Mickey Sheils never expected to hear from Luke again, not after he disappeared the first time. Luke knows Mickey can't deny a woman who needs help, so she promises she'll deal with things - she'll make sure Rose doesn't have to keep running.
But it turns out, some lies are too big to run from.
MY THOUGHTS: It took me a little longer than usual to become fully immersed in Jo Spain's latest novel, Don't Look Back, but once I was, I was hooked right until the end which, unfortunately, left me a little disappointed.
But the bulk of the novel had me alternately entranced and on the edge of my seat going wtf as Jo Spain's trademark twists took me in unexpected directions. There are some wonderfully suspenseful moments that had me holding my breath and wondering just what was going on and where the truth lay.
I really couldn't get a handle on Rose. She's a chameleon, different things to different people. Sweet? Injured? Needing protection? Or coolly calculating and manipulative? And Luke - too good to be true? Or is he really a great guy? Whatever these two characters may be, each is hiding something from the other.
Mickey and Elliott I adored, and I would love to read more about them, and the same for Detective Marcel Alleyne in Saint Thérèse, a very unusual character.
I liked Don't Look Back a lot, but I didn't quite love it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DontLookBack #NetGalley
I: : @jospainauthor @quercusbooks
T: @SpainJoanne @QuercusBooks
#contemporaryfiction #mystery #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Jo Spain is the author of the bestselling Inspector Tom Reynolds series and several international No. 1 bestselling standalone novels. Her first book, With Our Blessing, was a finalist in the 2015 Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller.
Jo, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, writes TV screenplays full-time. Her first crime series was broadcast on RTE in 2018 and she's currently involved in a number of TV developments including adaptations of her own novels. In 2021, she co-wrote Harry Wild, starring Jane Seymour, with the Emmy award-winning David Logan (airing 2022).
Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and four young children. In her spare time (she has four children, there is no spare time really) she likes to read. Her favourite authors include Pierre Lemaitre, Jo Nesbo, Liane Moriarty, Fred Vargas and Jodi Picoult. She also watches TV obsessively.
Jo thinks up her plots on long runs in the woods. Her husband sleeps with one eye open. (I can see why!)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Don't Look Back by Jo Spain for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
'I can't go back,' she says.
Luke suddenly feels very cold. His conscious brain is thinking, whatever it is, it's fine; we can go home and sort it out. Nothing could have happened that warrants this sort of fear.
But Rose is trembling and Luke knows whatever she's about to tell him is not going to be good.
'He's dead,' she says.
ABOUT 'DON'T LOOK BACK': For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in a Caribbean paradise. It's more than he ever thought he'd deserve.
But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man from her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And, in her terror, Rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment, and only one person he can think to turn to.
Mickey Sheils never expected to hear from Luke again, not after he disappeared the first time. Luke knows Mickey can't deny a woman who needs help, so she promises she'll deal with things - she'll make sure Rose doesn't have to keep running.
But it turns out, some lies are too big to run from.
MY THOUGHTS: It took me a little longer than usual to become fully immersed in Jo Spain's latest novel, Don't Look Back, but once I was, I was hooked right until the end which, unfortunately, left me a little disappointed.
But the bulk of the novel had me alternately entranced and on the edge of my seat going wtf as Jo Spain's trademark twists took me in unexpected directions. There are some wonderfully suspenseful moments that had me holding my breath and wondering just what was going on and where the truth lay.
I really couldn't get a handle on Rose. She's a chameleon, different things to different people. Sweet? Injured? Needing protection? Or coolly calculating and manipulative? And Luke - too good to be true? Or is he really a great guy? Whatever these two characters may be, each is hiding something from the other.
Mickey and Elliott I adored, and I would love to read more about them, and the same for Detective Marcel Alleyne in Saint Thérèse, a very unusual character.
I liked Don't Look Back a lot, but I didn't quite love it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DontLookBack #NetGalley
I: : @jospainauthor @quercusbooks
T: @SpainJoanne @QuercusBooks
#contemporaryfiction #mystery #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Jo Spain is the author of the bestselling Inspector Tom Reynolds series and several international No. 1 bestselling standalone novels. Her first book, With Our Blessing, was a finalist in the 2015 Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller.
Jo, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, writes TV screenplays full-time. Her first crime series was broadcast on RTE in 2018 and she's currently involved in a number of TV developments including adaptations of her own novels. In 2021, she co-wrote Harry Wild, starring Jane Seymour, with the Emmy award-winning David Logan (airing 2022).
Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and four young children. In her spare time (she has four children, there is no spare time really) she likes to read. Her favourite authors include Pierre Lemaitre, Jo Nesbo, Liane Moriarty, Fred Vargas and Jodi Picoult. She also watches TV obsessively.
Jo thinks up her plots on long runs in the woods. Her husband sleeps with one eye open. (I can see why!)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Don't Look Back by Jo Spain for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
May 12, 2023
3.5 stars rounded down.
This one started strong. I was quickly intrigued and thought this was looking like a winner. But then, it just fell flat and got really boring to me.
What I liked:
🔸️The writing was mostly fab, it was easy and enjoyable enough to keep reading.
🔸️I think it portrayed the effects of DV well.
🔸️I loved Mickey and Elliot's work, and their characters for the most part.
🔸️It is told from multi POVs, as always it confused me a minute at the start but then was good.
As for what I didn't like and why I only gave it 3.5 stars:
🔸️It just wasn't 'thrilling', it was easy to put down (or cause me to fall asleep...).
🔸️It dragged on a bit too much.
🔸️It ended up being too predictable and at the one part it wasn't, it wasn't executed very well.
🔸️I just get really tired of reading about money, rich people's decor and self importance. It was overdone.
All in all, I don't think this was bad and the writing was certainly good, but I don't think it's my cup of tea. I think many others may enjoy it so check out the book description and others' reviews.
⚠️ check TWs online - of note is DV (descriptive assaults and lasting effect on survivor) ⚠️
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: 11 May 2023
This one started strong. I was quickly intrigued and thought this was looking like a winner. But then, it just fell flat and got really boring to me.
What I liked:
🔸️The writing was mostly fab, it was easy and enjoyable enough to keep reading.
🔸️I think it portrayed the effects of DV well.
🔸️I loved Mickey and Elliot's work, and their characters for the most part.
🔸️It is told from multi POVs, as always it confused me a minute at the start but then was good.
As for what I didn't like and why I only gave it 3.5 stars:
🔸️It just wasn't 'thrilling', it was easy to put down (or cause me to fall asleep...).
🔸️It dragged on a bit too much.
🔸️It ended up being too predictable and at the one part it wasn't, it wasn't executed very well.
🔸️I just get really tired of reading about money, rich people's decor and self importance. It was overdone.
All in all, I don't think this was bad and the writing was certainly good, but I don't think it's my cup of tea. I think many others may enjoy it so check out the book description and others' reviews.
⚠️ check TWs online - of note is DV (descriptive assaults and lasting effect on survivor) ⚠️
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: 11 May 2023
April 21, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up.
For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in Caribbean paradise. It's more than he ever thought he'd deserve. But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man from her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And in her terror, Rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment and only one person he can think to turn to.
what a cleverly crafted plot this book has. This is one dark and twisted read. Just when you think you have it all worked out, off in a different direction we go. The story goes between the Caribbean, Donegal and London, and it's told over different timelines. Its action packed but easy to follow. With strong, well-rounded characters, Mickey was my definitely my favourite. This is an addictive book to read. You'll hear yourself say just one more chapter, but one more chapter is never enough.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #QuercusBooks and the author #JoSpain for my ARC of #DontLookBack in exchange for an honest review.
For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in Caribbean paradise. It's more than he ever thought he'd deserve. But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man from her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And in her terror, Rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment and only one person he can think to turn to.
what a cleverly crafted plot this book has. This is one dark and twisted read. Just when you think you have it all worked out, off in a different direction we go. The story goes between the Caribbean, Donegal and London, and it's told over different timelines. Its action packed but easy to follow. With strong, well-rounded characters, Mickey was my definitely my favourite. This is an addictive book to read. You'll hear yourself say just one more chapter, but one more chapter is never enough.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #QuercusBooks and the author #JoSpain for my ARC of #DontLookBack in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2023
“The day we left. Before I collected you from work. I killed somebody… There’s a dead body in our apartment.”
Don’t Look Back is the sixth stand-alone novel by Irish author, Jo Spain. Towards the end of a surprise week on a Caribbean Island with his wife of just three months, Luke Miller discovers the reason for her reluctance to return to London. What do you do when your wife has accidentally killed a man and his body is lying in your apartment in a different country?
Luke loves Rose Gillespie and will do anything to keep her safe. Truly, anything at all. If that means abandoning his life and going into hiding with Rose, that’s what he will do. So he contacts the one person he knows he can trust, Mickey Shiels. Their history means that she has every right to refuse to help. But Rose was once an abused wife, and that’s Mickey’s speciality.
Much more can’t be revealed without spoilers. Suffice it to say that each time the reader feels they have a handle on things, Spain throws in another wrinkle, another twist, another surprise that will keep the reader fully engaged all the way to the last page.
The narratives from multiple perspectives fill in the events that lead to this intriguing situation, and its aftermath. Spain’s characters are interesting and mostly appealing for all their very human flaws. Their dialogue and actions are credible, not requiring much suspension of disbelief. It doesn’t hurt that parts of this tightly plotted tale are blackly funny. Set aside a day: once you start this, you won’t want to put it down. Gripping crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Quercus.
Don’t Look Back is the sixth stand-alone novel by Irish author, Jo Spain. Towards the end of a surprise week on a Caribbean Island with his wife of just three months, Luke Miller discovers the reason for her reluctance to return to London. What do you do when your wife has accidentally killed a man and his body is lying in your apartment in a different country?
Luke loves Rose Gillespie and will do anything to keep her safe. Truly, anything at all. If that means abandoning his life and going into hiding with Rose, that’s what he will do. So he contacts the one person he knows he can trust, Mickey Shiels. Their history means that she has every right to refuse to help. But Rose was once an abused wife, and that’s Mickey’s speciality.
Much more can’t be revealed without spoilers. Suffice it to say that each time the reader feels they have a handle on things, Spain throws in another wrinkle, another twist, another surprise that will keep the reader fully engaged all the way to the last page.
The narratives from multiple perspectives fill in the events that lead to this intriguing situation, and its aftermath. Spain’s characters are interesting and mostly appealing for all their very human flaws. Their dialogue and actions are credible, not requiring much suspension of disbelief. It doesn’t hurt that parts of this tightly plotted tale are blackly funny. Set aside a day: once you start this, you won’t want to put it down. Gripping crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Quercus.
April 2, 2023
Jo Spain certainly has us travelling around the world with her thrillers. Last year it was Lapland - in Don't Look Back we travel to the Carribean. Her books are always addictive page turners, and I can't get enough of them. Anything could happen, and usually does. Yes, it is a bit wild and crazy, and I am there for it. I love a book when I am constantly surprised, and she manages to do it every single time.
Rose and Luke have had a whirlwind romance but never got a honeymoon. So, Rose decides to surprise her husband with a last-minute trip to Saint Thérèse. Sunshine, beaches and cocktails, what could be better. As they are packing to come home a week later, Rose drops a bombshell - there is a dead man in their apartment back in London and she killed him. - What the??? It is nonstop action from here, with twists and turns that you just have to read to believe.
A big thank you to Quercus Books for my advanced reading copy. Jo Spain is an author that I will always recommend. Publishes on May 11th.
Rose and Luke have had a whirlwind romance but never got a honeymoon. So, Rose decides to surprise her husband with a last-minute trip to Saint Thérèse. Sunshine, beaches and cocktails, what could be better. As they are packing to come home a week later, Rose drops a bombshell - there is a dead man in their apartment back in London and she killed him. - What the??? It is nonstop action from here, with twists and turns that you just have to read to believe.
A big thank you to Quercus Books for my advanced reading copy. Jo Spain is an author that I will always recommend. Publishes on May 11th.
March 30, 2023
My Rating: 2⭐️⭐️ mainly for the writing and the first quarter of the book otherwise what a flop!!!
Luke Miller has the perfect life, amazing wife, lot’s of money and a tribe of friends. Life gets even better when Rose, his perfect wife, surprises him with a belated honeymoon to a Caribbean paradise island.
It’s more than Luke feels like he deserves… but he is happy.
Rose becomes anxious as they pack their bags to leave the island and breaks down admitting to accidentally killing a violent man from her past. This man has been left in their London apartment for the past 7 days.
Luke knows he needs to do anything to keep Rose from harm, he calls the one person who never wanted to hear from him again… Mickey Shiels. Mickey can’t deny helping a woman in need no matter how angry she is at Luke for what he did to her.
Mickey promises to help Rose so she doesn’t have to keep running from her past… but everyone has secrets… but whose will get someone in big trouble??
This is my first Jo Spain book and it wont be my last, ONLY because I have one on the shelf to read AND I have it on good authority (Thanks Pink) that her police procedural is the goods… so I will come back.
As for Don’t Come Back… well thanks for the warning Jo Spain… I will not be coming back to this one unfortunately. So lets start with the good…
The writing was great, really exciting and punchy and I got into it easily at first. The chapters are a little long but nothing to worry about too much. I liked the alternative timeframes - not so much changes of POV (well there were but…)it was more timelines, and places which is good I am down with that. We jump back and forth in time and I really like that style… you know this already I am always down for that.
The story started off with a mystery, why is Rose so cagey, what does Luke have to hide and who is Mickey and what is she hiding??? All relevant and exciting points until you hit about the 30% mark and it was a snooze fest!! 💤💤💤
So much story and nothing much happens, it gets really boring and just drags on and on and on all for a really boring twist and reveal. I was really hoping for something that was OMG exciting and really just got oh… cool thats what I kind of thought was going to happen but hoped it wouldn’t.
Also a big gripe I have with this is it completely corrupted my kindle. This is an ARC I got from NetGalley and the formatting was whack which I can deal with, but the file kept shutting down my kindle and then every time I finally got it to open again I had to go all the way back to the start and scroll through to find what % I was up to… cause no chapters…. Very annoying and makes for an unpleasant reading experience.
I am going to keep this short cause I don’t really have much more to say about it… many people will love this one… and it wasn’t that it was particularly bad it was just super boring in my opinion. A bit OTT which I definitely can handle… but it wasn’t even exciting OTT just stupid. There was some unrealistic stuff in it… again I can handle that… but also it was just boring!!!
In the words of Amy Santiago from Brooklyn 99 - YA BORING!!!! 💤💤
Overall - if you like the author and want to see what this is about this is a well written book that probably most people will find entertaining… but if you are like me and really need a bit more substance to your books perhaps skip it…
Thank you to Quercus Books, the author and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
Luke Miller has the perfect life, amazing wife, lot’s of money and a tribe of friends. Life gets even better when Rose, his perfect wife, surprises him with a belated honeymoon to a Caribbean paradise island.
It’s more than Luke feels like he deserves… but he is happy.
Rose becomes anxious as they pack their bags to leave the island and breaks down admitting to accidentally killing a violent man from her past. This man has been left in their London apartment for the past 7 days.
Luke knows he needs to do anything to keep Rose from harm, he calls the one person who never wanted to hear from him again… Mickey Shiels. Mickey can’t deny helping a woman in need no matter how angry she is at Luke for what he did to her.
Mickey promises to help Rose so she doesn’t have to keep running from her past… but everyone has secrets… but whose will get someone in big trouble??
This is my first Jo Spain book and it wont be my last, ONLY because I have one on the shelf to read AND I have it on good authority (Thanks Pink) that her police procedural is the goods… so I will come back.
As for Don’t Come Back… well thanks for the warning Jo Spain… I will not be coming back to this one unfortunately. So lets start with the good…
The writing was great, really exciting and punchy and I got into it easily at first. The chapters are a little long but nothing to worry about too much. I liked the alternative timeframes - not so much changes of POV (well there were but…)it was more timelines, and places which is good I am down with that. We jump back and forth in time and I really like that style… you know this already I am always down for that.
The story started off with a mystery, why is Rose so cagey, what does Luke have to hide and who is Mickey and what is she hiding??? All relevant and exciting points until you hit about the 30% mark and it was a snooze fest!! 💤💤💤
So much story and nothing much happens, it gets really boring and just drags on and on and on all for a really boring twist and reveal. I was really hoping for something that was OMG exciting and really just got oh… cool thats what I kind of thought was going to happen but hoped it wouldn’t.
Also a big gripe I have with this is it completely corrupted my kindle. This is an ARC I got from NetGalley and the formatting was whack which I can deal with, but the file kept shutting down my kindle and then every time I finally got it to open again I had to go all the way back to the start and scroll through to find what % I was up to… cause no chapters…. Very annoying and makes for an unpleasant reading experience.
I am going to keep this short cause I don’t really have much more to say about it… many people will love this one… and it wasn’t that it was particularly bad it was just super boring in my opinion. A bit OTT which I definitely can handle… but it wasn’t even exciting OTT just stupid. There was some unrealistic stuff in it… again I can handle that… but also it was just boring!!!
In the words of Amy Santiago from Brooklyn 99 - YA BORING!!!! 💤💤
Overall - if you like the author and want to see what this is about this is a well written book that probably most people will find entertaining… but if you are like me and really need a bit more substance to your books perhaps skip it…
Thank you to Quercus Books, the author and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
June 7, 2023
I am torn about this review. The blurb, the premise of the plot is all there. It’s almost like a walking banger. But when you get to the last 75 pages is where it just drops in quality of the plot. I went into this book with high expectations after how much I had enjoyed the previous book The last to disappear. But this doesn’t have the same impact.
The plot follows a couple Luke and Rose who are going on a holiday, unplanned by Rose turning up to Luke’s workplace and jetting off to the carribean. But on the last day, Rose reveals that she had murdered a man in their apartment. Mickey is introduced alongside, she quit law to help those specifically in abusive relationships to leave, after having seen how the justice system had repeatedly failed to protect those most vulnerable. She works alongside Elliot, her work partner. Mickey is in for a journey when Luke contacts her after a extended period, for help. But as Mikey begins to investigate there’s more to what Luke has said. And a can of worms are opened!
The first 200 pages I would give it a solid 4.5. The plot was unpredictable, it was full of suspense I was quite literally glued to my seat reading it. This is the first plot I’ve read where I was blown away at how the story was progressing, the writing was easy to follow and cohesive. Just the right amount of description and nothing overdoing it. I was extremely happy reading the start. But as the plot progresses, I found it to be quite repetitive. Same traits were being mentioned and I asked myself why is this sort of going in a loop. The information feels repeated twice and it felt like the book is trying to evoke a specific emotion of anxiety and panic (which should be done by the writing alone, but not repeating the same thing).
And if you do read the hard back book, at 200 pages on the last sentence. That last sentence killed the vibe for me. It’s funny because I remember thinking before turning that page what happens if ‘something like this happens’, and when I read the last sentence I was spot on with it. And from then onwards it just screamed predictable and from that moment I knew then the book was going to go downhill. I think the thing that frustrated me the most was how the hidden secrets that both characters were hiding were always dangling in front of us but it’s not until the end where it’s revealed which I absolutely hate. Because 99.99% when they do that, as a reader you have a expectation and when it doesn’t live up to it, that’s where the disappointment hits. I absolutely hated the reveal of the secrets, it felt very pointless. It felt random too, the book always drops hints, but never reveals until the end, and it’s this frustration that I don’t like. With the same things happening over, slow progression of plot at some stages, and repeat of the ‘secrets of Luke and Rose’, I can handle to a certain extent of the amount of plot baiting. But when something is continuously mentioned but not explained is where I start to get more frustrated and lose the eagerness to the read the book.
I was also annoyed at how easy it is to get confused in the book by dropping the same names all the time but with different surnames. It just ruins the quality of the plot more. I would also like to point out that the book has references to SA!
Overall, I’m giving this a 3.5 stars. It’s a disappointing read with a lot of promise but the visible drop in quality is after 200 pages and the start of part 2. I wish I could rate this higher, but her last book set the bar too high.
The plot follows a couple Luke and Rose who are going on a holiday, unplanned by Rose turning up to Luke’s workplace and jetting off to the carribean. But on the last day, Rose reveals that she had murdered a man in their apartment. Mickey is introduced alongside, she quit law to help those specifically in abusive relationships to leave, after having seen how the justice system had repeatedly failed to protect those most vulnerable. She works alongside Elliot, her work partner. Mickey is in for a journey when Luke contacts her after a extended period, for help. But as Mikey begins to investigate there’s more to what Luke has said. And a can of worms are opened!
The first 200 pages I would give it a solid 4.5. The plot was unpredictable, it was full of suspense I was quite literally glued to my seat reading it. This is the first plot I’ve read where I was blown away at how the story was progressing, the writing was easy to follow and cohesive. Just the right amount of description and nothing overdoing it. I was extremely happy reading the start. But as the plot progresses, I found it to be quite repetitive. Same traits were being mentioned and I asked myself why is this sort of going in a loop. The information feels repeated twice and it felt like the book is trying to evoke a specific emotion of anxiety and panic (which should be done by the writing alone, but not repeating the same thing).
And if you do read the hard back book, at 200 pages on the last sentence. That last sentence killed the vibe for me. It’s funny because I remember thinking before turning that page what happens if ‘something like this happens’, and when I read the last sentence I was spot on with it. And from then onwards it just screamed predictable and from that moment I knew then the book was going to go downhill. I think the thing that frustrated me the most was how the hidden secrets that both characters were hiding were always dangling in front of us but it’s not until the end where it’s revealed which I absolutely hate. Because 99.99% when they do that, as a reader you have a expectation and when it doesn’t live up to it, that’s where the disappointment hits. I absolutely hated the reveal of the secrets, it felt very pointless. It felt random too, the book always drops hints, but never reveals until the end, and it’s this frustration that I don’t like. With the same things happening over, slow progression of plot at some stages, and repeat of the ‘secrets of Luke and Rose’, I can handle to a certain extent of the amount of plot baiting. But when something is continuously mentioned but not explained is where I start to get more frustrated and lose the eagerness to the read the book.
I was also annoyed at how easy it is to get confused in the book by dropping the same names all the time but with different surnames. It just ruins the quality of the plot more. I would also like to point out that the book has references to SA!
Overall, I’m giving this a 3.5 stars. It’s a disappointing read with a lot of promise but the visible drop in quality is after 200 pages and the start of part 2. I wish I could rate this higher, but her last book set the bar too high.
March 24, 2023
Luke and Rose are having the perfect honeymoon until Rose drops a bombshell. She has been stalked by her very violent ex and now there is a dead body in their apartment back home. So now begins a very twisted and exciting tale.
I always find something magical about the way authors have the ability to create a situation that has the reader totally engrossed in their writing. There is nothing better than being taken away from reality for a few hours and Jo Spain definitely has this skill, I have always been a fan.
There are some great supporting characters, Mickey in particular, who provide another layer to the story and you cannot help but be taken in by this whole situation. This is another fabulous book by Jo Spain, the action is fast paced and once you begin it is really hard to put this book down. It is one of those books where you will read it in a couple of sittings, it really is that good.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own.
I always find something magical about the way authors have the ability to create a situation that has the reader totally engrossed in their writing. There is nothing better than being taken away from reality for a few hours and Jo Spain definitely has this skill, I have always been a fan.
There are some great supporting characters, Mickey in particular, who provide another layer to the story and you cannot help but be taken in by this whole situation. This is another fabulous book by Jo Spain, the action is fast paced and once you begin it is really hard to put this book down. It is one of those books where you will read it in a couple of sittings, it really is that good.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own.
January 22, 2024
Jo Spain is so reliable for a twisty domestic mystery. The one was a bit more fast paced than some of her others and had more changes in direction. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters but nevertheless it was a propulsive narrative. Entertaining, easy reading.
May 13, 2023
This is the kind of review I hate writing.
I occasionally read a thriller to get me out of a reading slump. I’m afraid this thriller had the opposite effect - it put me in a reading slump. The story sent me to sleep.
I can hardly bring myself to give an synopsis but in short - Rose and Luke are married, both have secretive pasts, she whisks him off on a “surprise honeymoon” and at the end of the holiday tells him that there is a dead man in their London apartment back home.
I’ve read two of Jo Spain’s books - The Perfect Lie and The Last To Disappear - and she is an excellent writer but I’m afraid this book wasn’t compelling. It started off well but became dry and dull very quickly. I kept reading, hoping for an exciting twist that I didn’t see coming, but unfortunately the ending was predictable and not very exciting.
There are a couple of good scenes - notably the very tense nighttime scene in the villa on the island of Saint Therese - and solid writing throughout, but I was very glad to finish it. Perhaps those who enjoy crime/procedural novels might get more from this one than I did? 2/5 ⭐️
*Many thanks to @hachetteireland for sending me an advance copy of the book. As always, this is an honest review.*
I occasionally read a thriller to get me out of a reading slump. I’m afraid this thriller had the opposite effect - it put me in a reading slump. The story sent me to sleep.
I can hardly bring myself to give an synopsis but in short - Rose and Luke are married, both have secretive pasts, she whisks him off on a “surprise honeymoon” and at the end of the holiday tells him that there is a dead man in their London apartment back home.
I’ve read two of Jo Spain’s books - The Perfect Lie and The Last To Disappear - and she is an excellent writer but I’m afraid this book wasn’t compelling. It started off well but became dry and dull very quickly. I kept reading, hoping for an exciting twist that I didn’t see coming, but unfortunately the ending was predictable and not very exciting.
There are a couple of good scenes - notably the very tense nighttime scene in the villa on the island of Saint Therese - and solid writing throughout, but I was very glad to finish it. Perhaps those who enjoy crime/procedural novels might get more from this one than I did? 2/5 ⭐️
*Many thanks to @hachetteireland for sending me an advance copy of the book. As always, this is an honest review.*
April 25, 2023
Luke Miller's life is turned upside down when on the last day of an impromptu belated honeymoon his new wife, Rose, tells him she can't go back home because there's a dead body in their apartment. The body is that of a violent man who abused Rose in the past. She fled but he tracked her down, and now he's in a heap on the bedroom floor. Luke can only think of one person who might possibly help them.
That would be Mickey Sheils, whose life's work is finding safe spaces for women fleeing their abusive partners. Despite the way Mickey and Luke parted all those years ago, Mickey can't resist a woman in need and promises to help so Rose can stop running.
But of course things aren't as easy as that. There are skeletons in closets and close guarded secrets that are left to be discovered as the story goes on. Personally, I found that the gist of the tale was somewhat predictable and easy to figure out. However, the bigger picture, motives if you will, eluded me. I didn't trust these characters. Something felt off about them from the very beginning, even if I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Mickey is the exception to the rule. With her, I merely failed to understand why she would drop everything to help Luke.
There's quite a bit of traveling around in 'Don't Look Back'. From the Caribbean to England to Ireland and back again. It's all wonderfully descriptive but that didn't take away my view that it often felt as if very little was actually happening. And since I quite quickly realised some things weren't as they seemed, there really wasn't enough tension in this story for me, no matter how hard the author tried to create some. What Jo Spain does do awfully well is setting a scene. You can actually see things playing out right in front of your eyes, like you're watching it on television.
'Don't Look Back' started with a bang but then unfortunately for me seemed to fizzle right out again. This might be due to the fact that I worked things out too fast, I don't know. Maybe it's just that same old "reading too many psychological thrillers" thing again. Very few things seem to surprise me anymore. For the most part though, I kept thinking I would gladly have read an entire book about Mickey and her job, but I really didn't care about Luke and Rose, and whatever things they were hiding from one another.
I'm calling this a blip, as I normally really enjoy Jo Spain's books. Her writing is always fabulous and addictive, as it is in 'Don't Look Back'. The difficult topic that is tackled here is handled remarkably well. The space is spot on and for a book that is 400 pages long, it actually reads quite quickly. Somehow, this one just didn't quite work for me but I will eagerly await Jo Spain's next offering.
That would be Mickey Sheils, whose life's work is finding safe spaces for women fleeing their abusive partners. Despite the way Mickey and Luke parted all those years ago, Mickey can't resist a woman in need and promises to help so Rose can stop running.
But of course things aren't as easy as that. There are skeletons in closets and close guarded secrets that are left to be discovered as the story goes on. Personally, I found that the gist of the tale was somewhat predictable and easy to figure out. However, the bigger picture, motives if you will, eluded me. I didn't trust these characters. Something felt off about them from the very beginning, even if I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Mickey is the exception to the rule. With her, I merely failed to understand why she would drop everything to help Luke.
There's quite a bit of traveling around in 'Don't Look Back'. From the Caribbean to England to Ireland and back again. It's all wonderfully descriptive but that didn't take away my view that it often felt as if very little was actually happening. And since I quite quickly realised some things weren't as they seemed, there really wasn't enough tension in this story for me, no matter how hard the author tried to create some. What Jo Spain does do awfully well is setting a scene. You can actually see things playing out right in front of your eyes, like you're watching it on television.
'Don't Look Back' started with a bang but then unfortunately for me seemed to fizzle right out again. This might be due to the fact that I worked things out too fast, I don't know. Maybe it's just that same old "reading too many psychological thrillers" thing again. Very few things seem to surprise me anymore. For the most part though, I kept thinking I would gladly have read an entire book about Mickey and her job, but I really didn't care about Luke and Rose, and whatever things they were hiding from one another.
I'm calling this a blip, as I normally really enjoy Jo Spain's books. Her writing is always fabulous and addictive, as it is in 'Don't Look Back'. The difficult topic that is tackled here is handled remarkably well. The space is spot on and for a book that is 400 pages long, it actually reads quite quickly. Somehow, this one just didn't quite work for me but I will eagerly await Jo Spain's next offering.
June 15, 2023
* 4.5 stars!*
Your dream island. The love of your life. A secret that changes everything . . .
This is my second Jo Spain and she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. This twisty, clever thriller takes us from the UK to Saint Thérèse in the Caribbean. Rose and Luke are on their belated honeymoon - sounds like bliss right?
As they’re getting ready to leave, Rose drops a bombshell to Luke - she’s left a dead body in their apartment 😳
While Rose and Luke are the main protagonists there’s an array of interesting characters that made the narrative all the richer. Mickey, who thought she’d not hear from Luke ever again, decides to help after he reaches out to her. She was such an adorable and fierce character, someone I’d like to have on my side. Her relationship with Elliott was gorgeous too - I’d love to read more on these two!
Overall a fast paced, suspenseful story, with lots of action. I was on the edge my seat!
Highly recommended
Many thanks @netgalley @quercusbooks for a complimentary reading copy.
Your dream island. The love of your life. A secret that changes everything . . .
This is my second Jo Spain and she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. This twisty, clever thriller takes us from the UK to Saint Thérèse in the Caribbean. Rose and Luke are on their belated honeymoon - sounds like bliss right?
As they’re getting ready to leave, Rose drops a bombshell to Luke - she’s left a dead body in their apartment 😳
While Rose and Luke are the main protagonists there’s an array of interesting characters that made the narrative all the richer. Mickey, who thought she’d not hear from Luke ever again, decides to help after he reaches out to her. She was such an adorable and fierce character, someone I’d like to have on my side. Her relationship with Elliott was gorgeous too - I’d love to read more on these two!
Overall a fast paced, suspenseful story, with lots of action. I was on the edge my seat!
Highly recommended
Many thanks @netgalley @quercusbooks for a complimentary reading copy.
April 13, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of Jo Spain's latest stand alone thriller.
The story follows Luke Miller and Rose Gallagher starting with their delayed Caribbean honeymoon from which Rose informs, she cannot go home ... because there's a dead man in their flat - and she killed him.
We then follow this story but with flashbacks to how both Luke and Rose ended up on the run from the Police and a violent psychopath.
So it's fast paced, two timelines, lots of secrets and lies on all sides, which did get a bit annoying at times. I'm of the mind that when someone keeps saying "I'll tell you, but not now" it usually means it won't take much to work out what heinous act they've committed.
The book is fast paced and has an interesting enough storyline for me to read the last half in one sitting. However I knocked the star off because I thought virtually all the characters were truly unlikeable. I didn't feel any sort of empathy with any of the main characters and it put me off the book a little. Otherwise it's great. You may feel different about them. It's certainly well worth the read.
The story follows Luke Miller and Rose Gallagher starting with their delayed Caribbean honeymoon from which Rose informs, she cannot go home ... because there's a dead man in their flat - and she killed him.
We then follow this story but with flashbacks to how both Luke and Rose ended up on the run from the Police and a violent psychopath.
So it's fast paced, two timelines, lots of secrets and lies on all sides, which did get a bit annoying at times. I'm of the mind that when someone keeps saying "I'll tell you, but not now" it usually means it won't take much to work out what heinous act they've committed.
The book is fast paced and has an interesting enough storyline for me to read the last half in one sitting. However I knocked the star off because I thought virtually all the characters were truly unlikeable. I didn't feel any sort of empathy with any of the main characters and it put me off the book a little. Otherwise it's great. You may feel different about them. It's certainly well worth the read.
April 2, 2023
This is just the perfect escapist beach read! The opening grabs the reader and drags you in amd I coukdnt out it down after that
The story has a hood pace and never reels rushed or like its dragging or not moving forward. Its set over a split timeline so you are going back and forth between characters, countries and times. Quite the feat fir sn author to make work without making it confusing but its done to perfection
The characters are well written with plenty secrets and mystery surrounding them. This isn't the most realistic thriller but it's a fiction book so that's what we're here for. Although the events may not be likely to happen, the characters do feel like real people. They're complex and original and I just needed to know more about them!
There are a few twists and turns, nothing too shocking to be honest but they tied in well and there weren't any plot holes in the end. In fact, the ending was really well done woth all these strands just coming together organically to a natural conclusion.
As I said, perfect for a beach read but if that's not possible then grab it anyways and enjoy the beach via the story instead
The story has a hood pace and never reels rushed or like its dragging or not moving forward. Its set over a split timeline so you are going back and forth between characters, countries and times. Quite the feat fir sn author to make work without making it confusing but its done to perfection
The characters are well written with plenty secrets and mystery surrounding them. This isn't the most realistic thriller but it's a fiction book so that's what we're here for. Although the events may not be likely to happen, the characters do feel like real people. They're complex and original and I just needed to know more about them!
There are a few twists and turns, nothing too shocking to be honest but they tied in well and there weren't any plot holes in the end. In fact, the ending was really well done woth all these strands just coming together organically to a natural conclusion.
As I said, perfect for a beach read but if that's not possible then grab it anyways and enjoy the beach via the story instead
March 11, 2023
This was absolutely brilliant. The Perfect Lie is one of my favourite books and I honestly think this one was just as good.
I loved everything about this book - the writing style was nice to read and the characters were really well-developed. The story itself was fantastic - every chapter advanced the plot and there were so many twists and turns that even once you'd guessed something, there was always something else waiting to surprise you a few pages later.
I have nothing negative to say, and I would 100% recommend this book. The best one I've read so far this year.
I loved everything about this book - the writing style was nice to read and the characters were really well-developed. The story itself was fantastic - every chapter advanced the plot and there were so many twists and turns that even once you'd guessed something, there was always something else waiting to surprise you a few pages later.
I have nothing negative to say, and I would 100% recommend this book. The best one I've read so far this year.
June 30, 2023
A belated honeymoon on a Caribbean island. Sounds idyllic. However there is something dreadfully wrong and for the married couple concerned life is going to become rather challenging.
Rose Miller is hiding a secret for the seven days of their break. One which she doesn’t reveal until the last day when they are preparing to leave. There is a dead man in their apartment in London, killed by Rose seemingly in self defence. How on earth did she manage to keep a poker face on that one. Rose’s terror is plain to see as she recounts she reveals the identity of the man and how the death happened.
Theirs was a whirlwind romance but Luke Miller adores Rose and vows to do whatever is needed to protect her. He calls upon someone from his past Mickey Sheils for help. Mickey is a former Irish barrister who rejected the law in favour of helping women escape abusive relationships. It seems that Luke is not one of her favourite people for reasons that are not immediately explained, but she agrees to help however finds the situation is far more complicated than she can imagine.
From early on I had trust issues here. It was clear that Rose was damaged by her past but I felt that she wasn’t being entirely truthful, come to that, neither was Luke, at times he seemed too perfect to be true and I felt they were both keeping secrets. I was never quite sure if I could trust one, or both, as the author cleverly drip feeds doubt and suspicion throughout the story.
With its Caribbean setting of Saint Thérèse, interrupted by visits to London and Ireland and flashback chapters to the recent past, this is a well paced read with surprises and twists, great supporting characters (looking at you Inspector Alleyne and Elliott) and a sense of place to draw the reader in. I really liked Mickey from the start, she had some personal issues of her own but with her many contacts was helpful to have on your side and someone that instilled confidence with her feisty but considered manner. I would love to see her return. There is a background theme to the story, which is handled quite well and adds an element of fearful suspense.
I’ve always enjoyed books by Jo Spain and this was one of those addictive and entertaining reads that I kept wanting to go back to.
Rose Miller is hiding a secret for the seven days of their break. One which she doesn’t reveal until the last day when they are preparing to leave. There is a dead man in their apartment in London, killed by Rose seemingly in self defence. How on earth did she manage to keep a poker face on that one. Rose’s terror is plain to see as she recounts she reveals the identity of the man and how the death happened.
Theirs was a whirlwind romance but Luke Miller adores Rose and vows to do whatever is needed to protect her. He calls upon someone from his past Mickey Sheils for help. Mickey is a former Irish barrister who rejected the law in favour of helping women escape abusive relationships. It seems that Luke is not one of her favourite people for reasons that are not immediately explained, but she agrees to help however finds the situation is far more complicated than she can imagine.
From early on I had trust issues here. It was clear that Rose was damaged by her past but I felt that she wasn’t being entirely truthful, come to that, neither was Luke, at times he seemed too perfect to be true and I felt they were both keeping secrets. I was never quite sure if I could trust one, or both, as the author cleverly drip feeds doubt and suspicion throughout the story.
With its Caribbean setting of Saint Thérèse, interrupted by visits to London and Ireland and flashback chapters to the recent past, this is a well paced read with surprises and twists, great supporting characters (looking at you Inspector Alleyne and Elliott) and a sense of place to draw the reader in. I really liked Mickey from the start, she had some personal issues of her own but with her many contacts was helpful to have on your side and someone that instilled confidence with her feisty but considered manner. I would love to see her return. There is a background theme to the story, which is handled quite well and adds an element of fearful suspense.
I’ve always enjoyed books by Jo Spain and this was one of those addictive and entertaining reads that I kept wanting to go back to.
June 17, 2024
Finished reading: June 17th 2024
“Mickey knows that people can and will go to any lengths for revenge.”
REVIEW
October 18, 2024
Don’t let the tranquility of the cover fool you as the pages will lead you down a twisty and cleverly written path.
Everybody has a backstory and perhaps even a skeleton in their past that is just waiting for excavation.
Luke and his wife Rose have enjoyed a belated and unexpected honeymoon on a tropical island.
As checkout looms a confession by Rose will change the course of their lives. She murdered a violent ex and left his body in their London home.
As a devoted, doting and protective husband Luke will do what it takes to shield his wife from the law.
Luke turns to an unlikely person for help and she becomes embroiled in the legal and emotional drama.
Mickey has history with Luke that will impact her alliance.
The truth is a permanent shadow and redemption will not prevail until its revelation.
I was that intrigued and invested in this story that my sleuthing capacity was in overdrive and I did guess one twist but I shouldn’t have unfastened my seatbelt as more turbulence was lurking.
Everybody has a backstory and perhaps even a skeleton in their past that is just waiting for excavation.
Luke and his wife Rose have enjoyed a belated and unexpected honeymoon on a tropical island.
As checkout looms a confession by Rose will change the course of their lives. She murdered a violent ex and left his body in their London home.
As a devoted, doting and protective husband Luke will do what it takes to shield his wife from the law.
Luke turns to an unlikely person for help and she becomes embroiled in the legal and emotional drama.
Mickey has history with Luke that will impact her alliance.
The truth is a permanent shadow and redemption will not prevail until its revelation.
I was that intrigued and invested in this story that my sleuthing capacity was in overdrive and I did guess one twist but I shouldn’t have unfastened my seatbelt as more turbulence was lurking.
April 30, 2023
This is a great psychological thriller.
Luke is enjoying a last minute holiday booked for him by his wife but when it’s time to leave, Rose tells him they can’t go back to London as she killed a man in Luke’s apartment, and his body is still there.
Rose has been living in fear of her abusive ex but when an altercation goes wrong, he ends up dead.
Luke calls an old friend and asks for help but when Mickey gets to the apartment she’s in for a shock.
I can’t say too much more as there’s lots happening from this point and I don’t want to spoil it.
There’s more than a few secrets being held by the main characters and as the story progresses more and more is revealed.
This is a great read that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Quercus books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Luke is enjoying a last minute holiday booked for him by his wife but when it’s time to leave, Rose tells him they can’t go back to London as she killed a man in Luke’s apartment, and his body is still there.
Rose has been living in fear of her abusive ex but when an altercation goes wrong, he ends up dead.
Luke calls an old friend and asks for help but when Mickey gets to the apartment she’s in for a shock.
I can’t say too much more as there’s lots happening from this point and I don’t want to spoil it.
There’s more than a few secrets being held by the main characters and as the story progresses more and more is revealed.
This is a great read that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Quercus books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
May 11, 2023
This is a psychological thriller jam packed with secrets and lies which are gradually revealed as the story progresses. The suspense! I had no idea how it was going to end.
Luke and Rose decide to get married having only been together a few months. Luke’s friends are suspicious of Rose but Luke is head over heels and can’t see their problem. He sees a vulnerable girl he wants to protect from her violent ex.
When they go on a surprise holiday, Rose drops a huge bombshell. She has murdered her ex and his body is lying in their bedroom at home!
Luke contacts a friend back in London for help, and she gets caught up in the situation.
I was engrossed from the first page to the last.
Luke and Rose decide to get married having only been together a few months. Luke’s friends are suspicious of Rose but Luke is head over heels and can’t see their problem. He sees a vulnerable girl he wants to protect from her violent ex.
When they go on a surprise holiday, Rose drops a huge bombshell. She has murdered her ex and his body is lying in their bedroom at home!
Luke contacts a friend back in London for help, and she gets caught up in the situation.
I was engrossed from the first page to the last.
June 8, 2023
1.5 stars rounded down
I ended up profoundly disappointed by this book. I enjoyed the first half well enough and read it fairly quickly. But around the 45-50% mark, my enjoyment and my reading motivation went way down. There was even a point where I no joke forgot that I hadn't finished it yet. (It was at the approximately 75% mark, where I should have been so fully into it that I couldn't wait to finish it.)
I loved Mickey and Elliot and their dedication to helping abused women. They were the only real saving grace of the book for me.
I just couldn't connect to Rose or Luke at all - I just didn't care, and even though I only just finished the book, I couldn't tell you much about their personalities. I know what happened to them and why, but who they are? Not a clue.
In the first half, there was a bit of a mystery of what happened back in London, Rose's background, and what they'd do about the new drama. In the second, it turned into more of a money-motivated conspiracy theory with unnecessary crime family links.
I also didn't like the flashbacks to the beginning of Rose and Luke's relationship. It just reduced the tension that I was supposed to be feeling during the present dramas.
There was also no way to predict the ending. I love books where I can look back after the reveals and go "Oh, I can't believe I missed that". That was not the case with this one. I just didn't like this one in the slightest.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the ebook. I'm sorry I didn't like it as much as I wanted to.
I ended up profoundly disappointed by this book. I enjoyed the first half well enough and read it fairly quickly. But around the 45-50% mark, my enjoyment and my reading motivation went way down. There was even a point where I no joke forgot that I hadn't finished it yet. (It was at the approximately 75% mark, where I should have been so fully into it that I couldn't wait to finish it.)
I loved Mickey and Elliot and their dedication to helping abused women. They were the only real saving grace of the book for me.
I just couldn't connect to Rose or Luke at all - I just didn't care, and even though I only just finished the book, I couldn't tell you much about their personalities. I know what happened to them and why, but who they are? Not a clue.
In the first half, there was a bit of a mystery of what happened back in London, Rose's background, and what they'd do about the new drama. In the second, it turned into more of a money-motivated conspiracy theory with unnecessary crime family links.
I also didn't like the flashbacks to the beginning of Rose and Luke's relationship. It just reduced the tension that I was supposed to be feeling during the present dramas.
There was also no way to predict the ending. I love books where I can look back after the reveals and go "Oh, I can't believe I missed that". That was not the case with this one. I just didn't like this one in the slightest.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the ebook. I'm sorry I didn't like it as much as I wanted to.
November 26, 2023
2 stars
This story had a good start but boy did it go down in a basket.
It was soo dragged and boring. It took me forever to finish it.
Happy couple on honeymoon have an abrupt wake up call when the wife said he killed someone prior to leaving so she can't go back.
Go straight and read the last chapter because that's the only part that is worth, a good twist actually in the end.
This story had a good start but boy did it go down in a basket.
It was soo dragged and boring. It took me forever to finish it.
Happy couple on honeymoon have an abrupt wake up call when the wife said he killed someone prior to leaving so she can't go back.
Go straight and read the last chapter because that's the only part that is worth, a good twist actually in the end.
August 22, 2023
1.5 ⭐️
Painfully bad :(
Painfully bad :(
November 11, 2023
The body in the bedroom…
Luke and Rose Miller have spent an idyllic week on the Caribbean island of Saint-Thérèse, a surprise belated honeymoon that Rose sprung on Luke out of the blue. Now it’s time to go home, but suddenly Rose tells Luke she can’t go back with him. She tells him she killed a man in their flat, and the sudden holiday was her way of running away. The dead man was her ex-partner, Kevin Davidson – a man so violently abusive, Rose had fled from her home in Donegal, changed her identity and tried to lose herself in London. But Kevin had tracked her down, broken in to their flat and attacked her when she came home, and it was half-accident, half-luck that he’d come off worse in the encounter. Luke is shocked but is determined to protect Rose, so he devises a plan to deal with the body. For his plan to work he needs help, though, so he contacts Mickey Shiels, his ex-lover, a woman who now spends her life trying to help abused women get away from their violent partners…
There’s lots to like about this one. The writing is very good and there’s a variety of different settings – Saint-Thérèse (which I think must be fictional), London, Donegal. The pacing is steady rather than fast-paced, but there’s always enough momentum for it to have held my interest and kept me turning those pages. However, somehow it never caught fire in quite the way I expect from this type of thriller. Although there were frequent big build-ups to events that created some good tension, the events themselves tended to fizzle out. Not so much fireworks as sparklers.
We quickly learn that both Luke and Rose are hiding secrets from each other, and those secrets remain hidden from the reader too, and from Mickey, who has (oddly) dropped everything to run to the aid of a man who betrayed her so badly he nearly destroyed her life. I can’t say I really found any of these three main characters convincing, and I had a pretty good idea of at least one of the major secrets from quite early, so it didn’t come as a big surprise. There are also hints as to the motives early on, and while I didn’t work out the whole thing, again I felt rather unsurprised when all was revealed at the somewhat unexplosive end. And the post-climax tidying up of everyone’s lives simply didn’t ring true at all – it seemed like a cosy ending tacked on to a book that had been anything but cosy up to that point.
This was my first Jo Spain and I did find it quite enjoyable as a quick read, but nothing outstanding or unmissable. However, a couple of blog buddies who are both long-time Spain fans had pre-warned me that this isn’t one of her best, so I’ll take their advice and try her Inspector Tom Reynolds series instead. I feel the lack of fireworks in this one might suggest her style would work better in the police procedural type of novel than in the standalone thriller format. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Quercus, via NetGalley.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Luke and Rose Miller have spent an idyllic week on the Caribbean island of Saint-Thérèse, a surprise belated honeymoon that Rose sprung on Luke out of the blue. Now it’s time to go home, but suddenly Rose tells Luke she can’t go back with him. She tells him she killed a man in their flat, and the sudden holiday was her way of running away. The dead man was her ex-partner, Kevin Davidson – a man so violently abusive, Rose had fled from her home in Donegal, changed her identity and tried to lose herself in London. But Kevin had tracked her down, broken in to their flat and attacked her when she came home, and it was half-accident, half-luck that he’d come off worse in the encounter. Luke is shocked but is determined to protect Rose, so he devises a plan to deal with the body. For his plan to work he needs help, though, so he contacts Mickey Shiels, his ex-lover, a woman who now spends her life trying to help abused women get away from their violent partners…
There’s lots to like about this one. The writing is very good and there’s a variety of different settings – Saint-Thérèse (which I think must be fictional), London, Donegal. The pacing is steady rather than fast-paced, but there’s always enough momentum for it to have held my interest and kept me turning those pages. However, somehow it never caught fire in quite the way I expect from this type of thriller. Although there were frequent big build-ups to events that created some good tension, the events themselves tended to fizzle out. Not so much fireworks as sparklers.
We quickly learn that both Luke and Rose are hiding secrets from each other, and those secrets remain hidden from the reader too, and from Mickey, who has (oddly) dropped everything to run to the aid of a man who betrayed her so badly he nearly destroyed her life. I can’t say I really found any of these three main characters convincing, and I had a pretty good idea of at least one of the major secrets from quite early, so it didn’t come as a big surprise. There are also hints as to the motives early on, and while I didn’t work out the whole thing, again I felt rather unsurprised when all was revealed at the somewhat unexplosive end. And the post-climax tidying up of everyone’s lives simply didn’t ring true at all – it seemed like a cosy ending tacked on to a book that had been anything but cosy up to that point.
This was my first Jo Spain and I did find it quite enjoyable as a quick read, but nothing outstanding or unmissable. However, a couple of blog buddies who are both long-time Spain fans had pre-warned me that this isn’t one of her best, so I’ll take their advice and try her Inspector Tom Reynolds series instead. I feel the lack of fireworks in this one might suggest her style would work better in the police procedural type of novel than in the standalone thriller format. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Quercus, via NetGalley.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
April 19, 2025
This was my first Jo Spain book, and it is safe to say it won't be my last!
Wow, what a ride this was! Told between different locations: a Caribbean island named Saint-Thérèse, London, and Donegal later in the book, we get a diverse selection of settings that we as the reader are transported back and forth to.
The premise of this story may seem simple, but it is far from it! Filled with all the deception, twists, and tension, I found nothing to be as it seemed when I finished the book, which was a great feeling! Only until the latter third of the book do we end up getting the full picture on all the characters, which I did think was brilliant, but because there is always hints about the characters having secrets about their pasts, I often found myself getting frustrated at not knowing, if that makes sense! I suppose this could also be interpreted as a good thing, though!
Though having dark themes throughout, especially domestic and emotional abuse, I thought the ending was great, and I was eager to pick the book back up after I'd stopped.
You can definitely tell Jo is a screenwriter as this book read like a film/tv show! I LOVED it!
Though not getting quite top marks on here, as a whole, it was a BRILLIANT book, so it will get the 5 stars on Goodreads!
Rating: 9/10
Wow, what a ride this was! Told between different locations: a Caribbean island named Saint-Thérèse, London, and Donegal later in the book, we get a diverse selection of settings that we as the reader are transported back and forth to.
The premise of this story may seem simple, but it is far from it! Filled with all the deception, twists, and tension, I found nothing to be as it seemed when I finished the book, which was a great feeling! Only until the latter third of the book do we end up getting the full picture on all the characters, which I did think was brilliant, but because there is always hints about the characters having secrets about their pasts, I often found myself getting frustrated at not knowing, if that makes sense! I suppose this could also be interpreted as a good thing, though!
Though having dark themes throughout, especially domestic and emotional abuse, I thought the ending was great, and I was eager to pick the book back up after I'd stopped.
You can definitely tell Jo is a screenwriter as this book read like a film/tv show! I LOVED it!
Though not getting quite top marks on here, as a whole, it was a BRILLIANT book, so it will get the 5 stars on Goodreads!
Rating: 9/10
March 23, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Luke and Rose are married, and one day Rose collects Luke from work and takes him on a belated honeymoon to the Caribbean. Luke thinks his life is perfect until, just before returning home, Rose confesses that back in London a man is lying dead in their apartment after she fought back and defended herself. Luke only knows of one person who can possibly help, Mickey. Mickey is a friend from the past, and she is shocked to hear from Luke again after what happened before.
Another excellent read from this author. When I open a Jo Spain book, I know that I’m getting a cleverly thought out plot, with characters that are well written. And that’s exactly what we have here. The plot was brilliant, and everything that is happening is not what you think. The twists and turns were great, and some I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the characters, Mickey was my favourite. I’d like to see this book turned into a TV film, as it would be brilliant. I also hope that the author revisits Mickey one day so we can see how life has panned out for her.
Luke and Rose are married, and one day Rose collects Luke from work and takes him on a belated honeymoon to the Caribbean. Luke thinks his life is perfect until, just before returning home, Rose confesses that back in London a man is lying dead in their apartment after she fought back and defended herself. Luke only knows of one person who can possibly help, Mickey. Mickey is a friend from the past, and she is shocked to hear from Luke again after what happened before.
Another excellent read from this author. When I open a Jo Spain book, I know that I’m getting a cleverly thought out plot, with characters that are well written. And that’s exactly what we have here. The plot was brilliant, and everything that is happening is not what you think. The twists and turns were great, and some I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the characters, Mickey was my favourite. I’d like to see this book turned into a TV film, as it would be brilliant. I also hope that the author revisits Mickey one day so we can see how life has panned out for her.
June 24, 2023
Thank you Netgalley for the Kindle copy in exchange for a honest review. Luke Miller is surprised when his wife Rose collects him from work saying she has booked them a belated honeymoon. As their romantic break in the Caribbean comes to a close Rose confesses she killed her ex when he broke into their apartment and left him there. Luke contacts old friend Mickey Sheils to remove the body and clean their apartment. When she gets there the body has disappeared. A outstanding thriller that had me gripped.
May 10, 2023
I have heard so much about Jo Spain’s books and how addictive they are. This was my first book by her and now I see what all the fuss is about! I was on the edge of my seat throughout this page turner and had no idea the way the story was going to go until the very end. If you enjoy a good thriller, I definitely recommend giving this one a go.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 1, 2023
Thank you Quercus Books, Quercus and Netgalley for the arc. The cover is stunning but unfortunately the book let me down. It was a nice time line and all that was not confusing. But I excpected more after knowing the details from the past. Will ceetenly continue to read the author anyway.
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