The Lover

by Mary Watson, Unknown Author

Brought to you by Penguin.

You never know what happens behind closed doors.

Rafe seems like your perfect man – intelligent, charming, attractive.

You think you’ve met the one.

You go back to his house one night and fall asleep in his arms.

When you wake, you reach out for him. But something feels cold beside you.

Rafe is dead – murdered in bed as you lay next to him – and everyone is going to think you did it…

Mary Watson 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Genres: Mystery Thriller

Hardcover

About the author

Find me on Instagram @marym_watson

Reviews

[Caz (Underlined) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
The Lover by Mary Watson is a psychological thriller packed with mystery, secrets, obsession, and plenty of twists. From the first chapter, I was hooked because the story starts with Hallie Rausch waking up beside the man she likes, Rafe, only to discover he has been murdered. Most people worry about awkward morning-after conversations; Hallie has a slightly bigger problem.



The plot follows Hallie as she becomes the main suspect and tries to figure out who actually killed Rafe. As the investigation unfolds, more secrets are revealed, and it becomes clear that almost everyone has something to hide. Every time I thought I had solved the mystery, Mary Watson managed to prove me wrong. By the middle of the book, I was suspicious of nearly every character. If someone had told me the murderer was the family dog, I probably would have at least considered it.



Hallie is a strong main character because she feels realistic. She is scared, confused, and under enormous pressure, but she keeps pushing forward to find answers. I found myself rooting for her throughout the novel. Rafe is also an interesting character because even though he dies early on, his presence is felt throughout the story. The more I learned about him, the more I realised that charm and trustworthiness are definitely not the same thing.



What stood out most to me was the atmosphere. There is a constant feeling of tension, and I never felt completely comfortable while reading—which is a compliment in a thriller. Mary Watson creates the kind of suspense where even an innocent text message feels suspicious. I found myself second-guessing everything and everyone.



Mary Watson’s writing style is engaging and easy to follow, but it is also incredibly effective at building suspense. The short chapters kept me reading “just one more chapter” until suddenly I had read five. She reveals information at exactly the right pace, giving enough clues to keep readers interested without making the ending predictable.



Another thing I enjoyed was the theme of appearances versus reality. The novel shows how easy it is to think we know someone when we actually only know the version of themselves that they choose to show us. It made me think about how quickly people can jump to conclusions based on first impressions.



Overall, I really enjoyed The Lover. It is a gripping psychological thriller with interesting characters, an unpredictable plot, and plenty of twists. Mary Watson kept me guessing right until the end, which is exactly what I want from a thriller. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries, suspense, and stories that make you question absolutely everyone.



Thank you, NetGalley, Random House UK/Transworld/Bantam, and author Mary Watson for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.



Publishing Date: 18th June 2026

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4- 5 stars

Joseph Rafferty, known as Rafe, is Hallie Rausch’s boss at The Moss Museum in Loughmura, Ireland. He’s charismatic, attractive, intelligent and perhaps the perfect man. One morning, Hallie wakes to find Rafe dead …. clearly murdered during the night and everyone, especially Rafe’s ex-wife Lisa, is going to think she did it. It’s Hallie versus the court of public opinion.

This is a really good psychological thriller, which brims with anxiety, uncertainty, confusion and increasing menace. The tone becomes more ominous as the threat and danger levels rise. It becomes obvious that something is coming – but what? Who will emerge on the other side of it? It keeps me on the edge of my seat trying to get a handle on the central protagonists as the plot becomes as twisty as the Conor Pass in County Kerry.

One of the greatest strengths of the novel is the atmosphere the author creates. Central to this is the museum which affords many opportunities to intensify the creepy vibe of some of the extra – ordinary exhibits and the offkilter dynamics of the staff. There are flashbacks to the past where much of this has its roots and that too, is darkly atmospheric with some chilling images.

Overall, this is a really good read and whilst I foresee a small part of the ending, the rest is a humdinger. This is one I can recommend two fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K./Transworld/Bantam for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ Rating: 4⭐️
🫧 Vibes: the unreliable narrator
🎶 Song: killing boys - halsey
📚 Would I recommend? yes!
💬 tldr thoughts: a creepy thriller that I easily devoured

In the package:
📦 psychological thriller
📦 love vs obsession
📦 who is telling the truth

Plot: Rafe, is Hallie's boss and on-and-off again boyfriend at The Moss Museum. One morning, she wakes up with Rafe dead in their bed. He's been murdered in the middle of the night and Hallie is being framed for his death. As she works to clear her name, she discovers everyone is hiding their own secrets.

Thoughts: this book was a wild ride and I had a blast reading it. I support women's rights and wrongs! I did guess the ending but that didn't take away from how great the book was. There was still some really good twists in here and scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author did a great job at making me feel uncomfortable, uneasy with a creepy atmosphere.

Thank you Random House Canada for the gifted physical ARC!

✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩

[nyambuura✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a plot I wasn’t expecting.

That being said, I found it very slow and hard to get into at the beginning. It has too many unnecessary characters, that I think were meant to throw you off from suspecting the actual killer but it ends up being too overwhelming. It’s repetitive, overly descriptive with a lot of unnecessary details that didn’t really add much to the storyline.

Overall it’s not a bad read if you take all that out.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to admit, I REALLY didn't like this authors previous book The Cleaner (it was a 1 star read for me) but this one sounded right up my alley and I wanted to give the author another try so I decided to give this one a go and I went into it with an open mind.
Unfortunately I hated this one just as much as the authors other work.
Yet again right from the start I struggled to get into the story. It felt like we were dropped in halfway through and I was left with the feeling of: what is going on? and who are these people?
The first few chapters really didn't grab me but I continued on in the hopes I would get into it, but this never happened.
The whole book felt very muddled to me. I also felt like the plot was all over the place and it certainly didn't flow smoothly.
The writing style really disagreed with me as well. It all felt very surface level, lacking any depth.
The characters also felt very flat to me. I found nothing about them that made me want to read about them, care about them or to find out what happened to them.
I found the whole thing to be dull. The plot wasn't intriguing and it lacked any tension or thrills.
I have to admit that by 50% in I had to DNF. I just didn't care about the story at all. I couldn't read any more.
I really think that this author is not for me and I won't be reading anything else by her.

Thanks to Random House UK for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review

[Jillian B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hallie wakes up covered in blood, her date lying dead beside her. She’ll have to work to clear her name…and keep herself safe from a similar fate.

I loved the setting of this book, a small Irish town where everyone’s up in each other’s business. Having the added element of gossip going on in the background after the gruesome crime really heightened the tension. This is another one of those books where the killer could plausibly be one of several characters—and it still wasn’t someone I expected! The ending is what really made this book for me. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I hope to read many more!

[Karen KTB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo good! Highly recommend! Kept you guessing right to the end!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark, atmospheric thriller.

The Lover by Mary Watson is dark. It sustains a steady sense of unease. From the opening pages, the tension is palpable, drawing the reader into a deeply unsettling situation.

The story centres on the murder of Rafe, a prominent businessman, found dead beside his girlfriend, Hallie. Suspicion quickly settles on her, particularly as bloody evidence begins to surface. The premise is compelling, and Watson maintains a strong sense of claustrophobia, heightened by an undercurrent of surveillance that begins to emerge.

The use of interviews—especially early on—effectively builds intrigue. However, the large cast makes it difficult to form strong connections, leaving several characters feeling somewhat superfluous. Combined with a pace that occasionally slows, this creates a slightly fragmented reading experience.

That said, the novel excels in mood and style. While the plot didn’t fully resonate at every point, the atmosphere it creates is powerful. A well-written, evocative read overall, even if not entirely cohesive. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Clarisse]

After a breakup with her longtime boyfriend Calvin, Hallie returns to her small Irish hometown. She starts a job at a museum and ends up in a relationship with the museum director Rafe. When Rafe is found dead in bed with Hallie, her life spirals further. Feeling like the obvious suspect and seemingly framed, she is unsure who she can trust and starts to fear for her own life. 

This story kept me interested, even if the speed sometimes felt a bit all over the place. It might be a bit tricky for some readers to keep up with the rapid-fire and slow bits. However, the characters were so well-crafted and connected that I was completely drawn in. I also appreciated the interviews throughout the book; they provided valuable insights from each character, gradually building up the story.

[Zelda FeatzReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review will follow for the blog tour soon.

[Khas Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars ✨

[Rachael Hadfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up 38% through. Absolutely crap. Too many confusing characters.

[Christina Wiendels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Penguin Random House Canada for my third ARC Giveaway and the opportunity to write a review for Mary Watson’s thriller, The Lover! Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

This title stood out to me for a few reasons: Watson’s YA novels have been nominated for awards and her debut adult novel, The Cleaner, was a Canadian bestseller, so I was very intrigued by this rising author whose books I had not read before; the cover, though not final yet, is (despite everyone’s every effort not to judge a book by its cover) striking, as it features a gold handle dripping with blood against an orange door and bright, bold red lettering for the title; and the novel is a murder-mystery thriller that features a museum as one of its major settings (various characters are employed there), which excited me because museums are traditionally linked to history and both fear and adventure (I am always reminded of the Night at the Museum films featuring Ben Stiller from the early 2000s).

As only Watson’s second adult novel, The Lover is a fast-paced, memorable thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Except for the prologue and six sections titled “QUIET HISTORIES,” Watson’s novel is told from a first-person perspective. The main character and narrator, Hazel Lee Rausch—“Hallie” for short—works as assistant curator at the Moss Museum in Loughmura, Ireland, with a host of other characters (most notably, the murder victim, Joseph Rafferty, or “Rafe” for short) who are in some way connected to what happened to Rafe, and to what is currently happening to Hallie: her safety feels threatened at every turn. As readers, we make discoveries about the other characters as Hallie does—except for the seven interviews conducted either by Gregory Brennan or the Loughmura Garda Station (Philip Gilroy or Jillian McGovern) regarding the Rausch/Rafferty Grievance. (These interviews occur either at the Moss Museum or at the Loughmura Garda Station and are roughly two pages each in length.) In a three hundred- and seventy-three-page novel with sixty-two chapters, the individual chapters are fairly short—roughly three to seven pages—which contributes to the novel’s quick pace. Also, in addition to the interviews and “QUIET HISTORIES,” which relate important information at appropriate times in the narrative and add to the story’s fast pace, the story itself provides a fun page-turner for the reader. Hallie is found beside a murdered Rafe—who also happens to be her boss at the museum—and is covered in his blood as they lie next to each other in his bed at his cabin called the Haven. Hallie is also getting harassed at work and, later, within her own home. Who killed Rafe—for a long time, Hallie is the prime suspect, and she must try to uncover the true killer—and who is making Hallie feel unsafe not just at work, but now also at home? Why did Rafe only date girls who looked like Hallie, and why did he suddenly divorce his wife Lisa (with whom he had a daughter named Saoirse)? Did anyone—including Rafe’s close friend Jack Kelleher—ever actually know Rafe? What makes this novel engrossing is in part the number of characters involved in the events that take place, as well as the lies that some of these characters tell to avoid getting caught. As Hallie pairs up with Jack, an old mutual friend who manages security, they learn that a number of workers at the museum, including both friends and foes, harbour secrets.

The story’s depiction of the major setting of the museum—an apt backdrop for a story ultimately concerned with the past and how it shapes both present and future—is important throughout the novel. However, I wanted Watson to play up the connection between the setting of the museum and the murder bound up with a historical event a bit more than she did (hence, my rating of four stars rather than five). To be sure, that Hallie becomes trapped in the museum’s holding space (located in the basement) for the whole of Brigid’s Day weekend by an unknown individual is creepy and threatening. As Hallie’s mother observes, Hallie could have died there due to her vomiting migraine. A museum is, of course, also chiefly concerned with history and throughout the novel the reader receives glimpses into Hallie’s past—in particular, glimpses of one specific day containing an event that has led to the present set of circumstances. Watson does a great job unfolding this historical narrative for the reader; however, I wonder if her attention to the other ways in which a museum relates to the characters might distract from the largest one. In the first few pages of the novel, Hallie walks through the mask gallery, “Masquerade and Mayhem,” and observes how unnerving this exhibit is, since the masks watched back. She also makes explicit comparisons between features of a museum, human behaviour, and criminal investigations; for instance, Hallie considers the meanings of the word “exhibit.” The simultaneous attraction and fear that Hallie feels toward Rafe, her lover and boss, is like the mixed feelings she experiences in looking at the masks in the mask gallery. The mask gallery also clearly serves to highlight how no one really knows the true Rafe—he is a sort of “masked figure.” At other points in the novel, Hallie draws connections between the museum, the major topics of the story, and the characters: Hallie associates the museum’s basement with memory and experience, both of which are topics in the novel; Hallie realizes that everyone knows everything about her, so she ought to curate her own private exhibition; and Hallie reflects on the old story of the merrow in the lake, which involves a beautiful woman whose human lovers tried to keep her trapped by stealing her magical red cap (the cap allowed her to live between land and water). Overall, Watson’s use of the museum as a major setting for the novel is both appropriate and purposeful, but I wonder if she underplayed it in some ways and overplayed it in others.

The Lover, in addition to being a story about museums and the past that can come back to haunt us, is also largely about human relationships—familial relationships such as mother-daughter relationships, friendships, and intimate relationships—and the line between (for example) the act of protecting and trapping another person. The novel definitely concerns boundaries: when does a lover’s protectiveness become abusive? When does a friend’s betrayal make him/her/them no longer a friend? The first boundary crossing is explored primarily via Rafe’s relationship to the various women he dates, while the second boundary crossing is explored chiefly through one of Hallie’s close friends (although other close friendships are also called into serious question). The novel also deals with secrets—Rafe, for example, has a secret box full of old photos—and subtly asks the question of when/whether revenge is ever appropriate. In addition to Hallie’s friends and lovers, both past and present, who play a significant role in the novel, the other characters’ family members/relations greatly influence the course of events. Indeed, one of the biggest draws of this novel is how no single character is responsible for the bulk of the events that occur; instead, various characters contribute to events, which results in a tangled web that the reader must examine closely in order to guess who the true murderer is. In real life, human lives are complex because they are closely interwoven—just as the past shapes the present and the future in often unpredictable and easy-to-miss ways—and I think that Watson’s novel wonderfully depicts both the importance of the choices that each and every individual makes and the “messiness” of real life—that is, how one person’s life spills into another’s and then another’s in a domino-like effect.

[Ney oh the thrill of it FN · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had the makings of such a good story. The premise was intriguing, but I felt that the onslaught of characters made it feel too overcrowded. It became tricky to keep track of them all as well to remember their relevance to the story. This definitely took me out of the story at times.

Hallie and Rafe work together. He is in a higher postion than her and they used to be an item but split up. Since the split things have gone from bad to worse for Hallie with her career hanging in the balance.

One final dangerous incident solidifies in Hallie's mind the feeling she is being sabotaged and she is sure it is Rafe due to their break up. Evidence materialises, though, that seemingly clears Rafe of any wrongdoing.

The couple decide to get back together. Tve next morning Hallie wakes disorientated and confused, covered in Rafe's blood. He has been murdered and she slept through it.

Hallie as the main character came across a little woe is me. To be honest I might do too if someone was launching a career-destroying vendetta against me lol.

Rafe's character is the classic charming man to all those around him, but there is hidden malice as his character is further explored.

This story has hidden layers. As it unfolds and more pieces are exposed, the bigger picture is an ugly one. The book is steeped in lies, manipulation, coercion, gaslighting, hidden pasts, obsession and secrets. There is a sense of unease running through the pages and you aren't sure who can be fully trusted this ran to the final pages. I liked that there was so much misdirection and red herrings throughout to keep you guessing.

The pace let this book down. It was incredibly slow but rushed through the end. The slower pacing made the story drag and feel even longer than it was. Hallie's introspection felt a little repetitive at times.

Overall it was an ok read. I wasn't blown away by the ending.

Thank you to Mary Watson and Bantam for this complimentary advanced copy via Netgalley. This review is being left voluntarily and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Becky Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @what_emreadnext @bantambooksuk for sending me this stunning finished copy of THE LOVER.

My Thoughts:
 
I flew through this book. Once it got going I felt like there was revelation after revelation, making me want to read on.
 
This psychological thriller was engaging, original and filled with secrets, obsession and unreliable characters. A thriller readers dream.
 
The plot of this story was executed perfectly, the pace was on point and I was constantly questioning everybody. Each character was compelling and shady, which I ate up.
 
The story was set in a small town in Ireland, where the small community knows everyone and nothing stays secret for long, making the atmosphere felt deliciously claustrophobic.
I loved the museum environment and felt it added a unique spin to the thriller premise and felt quite dark and unsettling.
 
I always love a novel that includes different writing formats. This one has various interview transcripts and history accounts peppered through the narrative, which added to the story beautifully.
 
A story that constantly had me in suspense and wondering what the hell was going on. And that ending … FABULOUS. I highly recommend.
 
BLURB:
 
Rafe seems likes your perfect man - intelligent, charming, attractive. He also happens to be your boss. Your too swept up to care for office gossip. In Rafe, you have found the one. You go back to his house one evening and fall asleep in his arms. When you wake, you reach out for him. But something feels cold beside you …
Rafe is dead - murdered in bed as you lay next to him - and everyone is going to think you did it.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hazel works at the Moss Museum. It's her dream job that she's worked hard to get. She's fallen for her charming boss, Rafe, but can't help but think he is behind the problems at work following a messy break up.

Upon digging a little deeper it seems that Hazel is wrong and after meeting for drinks she falls back into Rafe's arms (and bed). The very next morning she is awoken from a deep sleep covered in blood and with a dead lover next to her. But who killed him and why are they setting her up?

This was my first Watson read and I was excited for it. I love a good edge of the seat thriller and had seen great reviews for The Cleaner.

We jump between past and present and the main set of characters feature in both timelines. The main character is presented as somewhat unreliable/untrustworthy and there are lots of red herrings in the book due to this and opinions formed of other characters via her sight.

I also liked the scorned lover vibe and the intrigue surrounding Hazel and Rafe's relationship. It is messy and real and as the book developed becomes more complex, threading in more characters and a much larger narrative.

I think this book didn't hit the mark for me as I disliked the main character, Hazel. I can't put my finger on it exactly and whilst I think it's good that an author can make you feel this way about a fictional character, on the flipside it can create a tension when reading. I did not particularly like any character (Jack was lovely but also came across sketchy at times) and this made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the book.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

When Hallie met Rafe, he seemed like the perfect man. Finding out he was her new boss is a surprise, but they manage happily for a year before his controlling nature forces Hallie to end the relationship.

Now, they’ve reunited and spent the night together. But as Hallie wakes up in the morning, covered in blood, she discovers Rafe murdered and that it looks a lot like she did it…

I really enjoyed Mary’s last book, The Cleaner, and thought this was just as good if not better!

The tension and suspense throughout was immense! Hallie is quite an unreliable narrator so I was constantly unsure whether or not I could trust her, and wondering what Rafe had done to make her so scared of him.

I really enjoyed the Moss Castle museum setting, with the contrast of old and new, the creepy artefacts and the basement with the ancient dungeon! And I loved the metaphor of our lives being like a museum, a curated history on show, and how we let people see what we want them to see.

I thought I’d figured out who had done it and why, but I was way off! There are some really good twists and surprises lurking that I hadn’t considered!

It was a really addictive, mysterious and twisty story!

[Angela Mellor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lover is a tightly written thriller that I enjoyed.
Rafe is Hallie’s boss at The Moss Museum in Loughmura, Ireland. Hallie and Rafe were in a relationship but they broke up until last night when Hallie agreed to go for dinner and ended up 8n bed with him after Rafe had proposed. The morning after and Hallie is woken by her friends voice shouting her but when Hallie awakens Rafe is dead in bed bedside her and she is covered in his blood. Who has killed Rafe? The search is on.
This was a decent thriller although the pace was a little off for me, sometimes fairly fast switching to slow it didn’t affect the book too much. The characters were well developed and interlinked a lot so kept the book interesting. There were a lot of red herrings over who the murderer was and caught me out once or twice. The ending was complete and left me with no unanswered questions. I shall look out for this author in the future.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hallie wakes up one morning to find Rafe, who seemed like her perfect man and also her boss, murdered next to her. With all evidence pointing to her being the culprit, she must try to discover the truth.

This was a compelling read, however reading a book with a very similar plot recently, it did not feel fully original. Saying that, it still had its own unique style of writing and red herrings to keep it interesting enough. I did find that although this was a decent enough thriller, I personally found the pacing slow and uneven, likely as there seemed to be a lot of the main characters thoughts, adding excess detail. I also struggled to connect to the characters, as there were a good few to get to know. I did find that I enjoyed that the story was interspersed with interviews, which helped keep it intriguing. Overall, even though this was not fully for me, I appreciate it was still a solid thriller and this is reflected in the great reviews it has already received. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hallie Rausch works at The Moss Museum in the fictional town of Loughmura, Ireland. Told in dual timeline from Hallie’s POV with the narrative interspersed with interviews. The pacing was a bit slow for much of the book but a don’t mind that as long as there is new information presented.

Briefly, Hallie has previously been in a relationship with her boss Joseph ‘Rafe’ Rafferty but they split up. Things became difficult at work and Hallie thought Rafe was behind a number of incidents, trying to get her sacked. However, following dinner together one evening, and a proposal, they decide to try again. But their reconciliation is short lived as when Hallie wakes in the morning Rafe is dead next to her, murdered in the night.

Hallie isn’t a terribly likeable character and came across as an unreliable narrator. There are a lot of characters, in both timelines, to get your head around and a lot of red herrings pointing to a number of them, some of which had me completely fooled. A good menacing psychological thriller. 3.5⭐️

[Michelle Brilz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one hooked me immediately with the premise alone. Waking up beside a murdered man and knowing everyone is going to think you did it? Instantly stressful in the best way.

The story moved fast and kept the tension high the entire time. I loved how suspicious everyone felt, and every time I thought I had things figured out, something else would happen that made me question everything again.

Rafe was such an interesting character because even before his death there was this underlying feeling that something wasn’t quite right beneath the charm. The story really played into themes of obsession, manipulation, and how little we truly know about people behind closed doors.

Overall, this was a tense, bingeable thriller that kept me guessing and entertained the whole way through. Definitely a great pick if you love twisty psychological suspense with messy relationships and constant suspicion.

Thanks NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Author Mary Watson for the fantastic ARC!!

[Simone Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bright cover of this book caught my eye and the premise seemed intriguing, I’m a fan of thrillers. I have read another book by this author and it wasn’t for me but thought I would give her another go.

Hallie has secured her dream job at the Moss Museum, and until recently was sleeping with her handsome and charming boss. After a messy breakup she thinks he’s deliberately sabotaging her work and trying to force her out of her job. One evening Hallie wakes up to find her boss brutally murdered beside her and she’s suspect number 1.

The chapters in the book are quite short which I liked but for me the pacing felt off somehow. I was never totally gripped and I didn’t care about the characters much either. Hallie is irritating and I’m amazed she has so many people that like her and want to support her. Some parts are predictable and I thought the end was a bit silly.

Overall, this was OK but not quite gripping enough for me.

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good thriller and the first chapter, pulled me in.

The book following Hallie, the main suspect and partner of Rafe, really set everything up. Reading through the book you can feel her fear, confusion and pressure that she was experiencing. One piece that I was confused at first was the little flash backs from Hallie's life that we were given. At the start they seemed random but throughout the book, they really gave insight and backstory to SO MUCH.

I would like to give myself credit for usually figuring out who the actually murderer is in thrillers or the one who did it. But throughout this book, I changed my mind 800 times. Each piece we were given and little clues that kept popping up, had me rethinking everything (probably should've listened to my gut in the first place because it was 100% correct).

The Lover really did give so many moving pieces throughout and honestly, I was so shocked with each new piece. I honestly loved it.

[Jess Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review


Now THIS is what you call a thriller. This was everything I could’ve asked for and more. Questioning the whole time what was truth and what was false. Whether every part of the information was new. The interviews, the flicks to the past, everything put together became a FANTASTIC thriller.

Although I am a sucker for multiple POV’s this book didn’t need it as I was hooked from the start but where the other POV’s/ interviews were used sporadically? I found it was a great tool in furthering the novel and I thoroughly enjoyed. Is the narrator reliable or not? Who truely was behind the death? Who was going to be blamed? I sat questioning EVERYTHING.

Then, I had to sit in silence for a solid 10 minutes after putting it down. So grateful I got the opportunity to read this early.

[Harriet Pasco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an engaging read and my second book from Mary Watson - safe to say she’s quickly becoming an author I’ll happily keep picking up.

The plot is really intricately woven, with so many connections between the characters that it constantly kept me guessing. There are plenty of red herrings throughout, and just when you think you’ve worked it out… trust me, you haven’t.

The pacing was a little uneven at times, but I was invested throughout, and the final few chapters absolutely flew. I was genuinely holding my breath by the end.

Overall, a really clever, twisty thriller with an ending I didn’t see coming at all - and one I’d definitely recommend if you enjoy suspenseful thrillers full of suspicion and surprises.

[Manju Bhatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read.
How well do you know the man lying next to you? Hallie thought Rafe was the perfect man—intelligent, charming, attractive. He also happens to be her boss at the museum. But, over the past few weeks, things between them have soured, and to make matters worse, someone is harassing Hallie at work, committing sabotage aimed at forcing her out of her job. No matter who is responsible, Hallie believes she will be safe in Rafe’s arms. She goes to sleep thinking that, after tonight, they can finally return to normal. But she wakes to find Rafe dead—murdered in his bed as she slept beside him. All fingers point to Hallie, and, unless she can find his killer, she’ll go to prison for the rest of her life. But maybe that’s where she’d be safest .
I loved it.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw Mary had a new book out, I was excited to read it. The Cleaner was really well told and had a great atmosphere and this one was as good as. From the outside looking in, you would never expect anything else apart from a good looking guy who basically has everything he wants. What happens when you work for him and go to bed with him at night. When tragedy strikes and you are left holding the pieces who the hell were you going home to each night. I liked the storyline and the level of tension that each page brought, it gets better towards the middle as we uncover some things that shocked me. It was cleverly written and full of thrills and twists. I gasped when I read the ending. Such a great read. I loved it.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author, and I don’t think I’ll be rushing to read another one. The writing style just didn’t work for me – I found it quite repetitive and over-explained, with a lot of detail that didn’t really add much to the story.
There were plenty of twists, which kept the story moving, although some felt more believable than others. I also found the plot a bit far-fetched at times and I would have liked the characters to have more depth.
I did finish the book, but it felt like a bit of a chore in places and I was tempted to give up more than once.
It just wasn’t the right fit for me. Perhaps it will appeal more to people who don’t read many thrillers and those not too fussy about the quality of writing.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens when you make up with the boyfriend you broke up with (who also happens to be your boss), but then wake up the morning after to find him lying dead beside you?

This is the situation in which Hallie finds herself, admittedly after having made a few bad decisions in her life. But surely nothing that should have led to the situation like this!

I did not find Hallie a particularly likeable protagonist, and the pacing in the story was occasionally a bit and even, but this was a good read with an excellent hook. It gets 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review