What do you think?
Rate this book
The Girl With No Past
A gripping psychological thriller for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
Leah Mills lives a life of a fugitive – kept on the run by one terrible day from her past. It is a lonely life, without a social life or friends until – longing for a connection – she meets Julian. For the first time she dares to believe she can live a normal life.
Then, on the fourteenth anniversary of that day, she receives a card. Someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won’t stop until they’ve destroyed the life Leah has created.
But is Leah all she seems? Or does she deserve everything she gets?
Everyone has secrets. But some are deadly.
Leah Mills lives a life of a fugitive – kept on the run by one terrible day from her past. It is a lonely life, without a social life or friends until – longing for a connection – she meets Julian. For the first time she dares to believe she can live a normal life.
Then, on the fourteenth anniversary of that day, she receives a card. Someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won’t stop until they’ve destroyed the life Leah has created.
But is Leah all she seems? Or does she deserve everything she gets?
Everyone has secrets. But some are deadly.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2015
3178 people are currently reading
12271 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,330 reviews
August 18, 2024
Oh my goodness! This psychological thriller grabbed hold of me with its icy little fingers and never let go.
Leah lives a solitary existence, but then, that's how she wants it. She believes she deserves to be punished, because Leah has a secret, one she doesn't want anyone to know about. She knows she doesn't deserve happiness, but then she meets Julian. She begins to imagine that they could have a future together, that maybe she could forge a normal decent life. Then, on the fourteenth anniversary of the secret, she receives an email that changes everything.
Kathryn Croft has written a cracker with this one. It was SO compelling it left me breathless at times, especially when those icy little fingers worked their way down my spine! Honestly, this is an absolute treat.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my free copy for which I have given a fair and honest review*
Leah lives a solitary existence, but then, that's how she wants it. She believes she deserves to be punished, because Leah has a secret, one she doesn't want anyone to know about. She knows she doesn't deserve happiness, but then she meets Julian. She begins to imagine that they could have a future together, that maybe she could forge a normal decent life. Then, on the fourteenth anniversary of the secret, she receives an email that changes everything.
Kathryn Croft has written a cracker with this one. It was SO compelling it left me breathless at times, especially when those icy little fingers worked their way down my spine! Honestly, this is an absolute treat.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my free copy for which I have given a fair and honest review*
December 18, 2015
This is one of those rare instances that I have no pictures to come to my aid- No visual flashes have come to mind to help me sort out this review....
Very rare indeed- and what makes it even harder...Is this was a book I received for free. I hate bashing free books.
...but it just couldn't be helped here.
This was THE worst book I read in 2015...by far- and the fact that my opinion is so different from everyone elses here, makes it all the harder to say that.
I hated this MC more than I have hated most- and I have read (and liked) American Psycho- folks!!! The difference is he knew he was THE bad guy- This chick for all her moaning and groaning was meant to be sympathetic...and I just couldn't get on board....for any of it.
This girl was dumb...DUMB...dumb dumb...and following her for 302 pages was excruciating, to say the least. When I can't be bothered to make an effort- that says it all.
*Sigh* Yup- Thanks NetGalley. I think.....
November 7, 2015
AWESOME BOOK!!! I absolutely DEVOURED it! I adore psychological thrillers when they are done well. I LOVE being surprised by awesome twists and turns! So when I saw a LOT of my friends rate this book highly, I had to give it a go. I recognised the authors name and realised that Kathryn Croft also wrote The Stranger Within, which I read earlier this year and thought was fantastic, so I was very excited to read this one.
Leah is a bit of a hermit. She lives alone and doesn't have any friends. She lives the way she does because of an event in her past. Something that she did when she was younger that she cant escape from. So she has lived her life quietly with guilt and in shame of her actions. Living a mundane existence, she believes that her past may finally be behind her as she takes the plunge and reaches out to make a romantic connection with somebody, something she hasn't done for a very long time. However, her past quickly catches up with her when she begins to receive messages and is tormented by somebody who doesn't want her to forget...
GREAT psychological thriller!!! Masterfully woven together into an absolutely fantastic story. It got me totally hooked from the start. I was completely intrigued. We don't know much about Leah's past, and slowly start to get glimpses of it every few chapters as the story progresses until the truth comes out. And then just when you think that you have all the excitement that the book has to offer, BAM another twist and you are left shell shocked!
It had a bit of a more mature, non-slasher "I know what you did last summer" vibe which was fantastic! I loved trying to figure out who the bad guy/girl was, whilst trying to figure out what she had done in the past. I was absolutely sucked in and couldn't get enough of this book!
The characters were fantastic! Leah was the star of the book obviously. As we begin to get an understanding of her character and personality, why she is the way, she is she is extremely likeable despite her flaws. You find yourself caring about what is happening to her even though you have no idea what she was previously involved in. The other characters in the book were fantastic! Both in the past and present. There were not too many characters either which I enjoyed. I find I tend to read so fast that I often forget who is who, so she made it easy for me! Especially because I read this book so quickly because I was totally hooked!
I loved the way this book was written. It went back and forth to Leah's past and present so naturally. Her writing style is superb. I see it being compared to "gone girl"... Everything is being compared to that bloody book! I think this was far superior. I also think it would make a fantastic movie! This is another one with potential to be HUGE and I really hope it is.
Would I recommend it?
YES YES YES YES YES!!! Go read it!
Many thanks to Kathryn Croft via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. And also a massive thanks to all my GoodReads friends who kept recommending it to me!
For more reviews visit my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
Follow me on Twitter
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
Leah is a bit of a hermit. She lives alone and doesn't have any friends. She lives the way she does because of an event in her past. Something that she did when she was younger that she cant escape from. So she has lived her life quietly with guilt and in shame of her actions. Living a mundane existence, she believes that her past may finally be behind her as she takes the plunge and reaches out to make a romantic connection with somebody, something she hasn't done for a very long time. However, her past quickly catches up with her when she begins to receive messages and is tormented by somebody who doesn't want her to forget...
GREAT psychological thriller!!! Masterfully woven together into an absolutely fantastic story. It got me totally hooked from the start. I was completely intrigued. We don't know much about Leah's past, and slowly start to get glimpses of it every few chapters as the story progresses until the truth comes out. And then just when you think that you have all the excitement that the book has to offer, BAM another twist and you are left shell shocked!
It had a bit of a more mature, non-slasher "I know what you did last summer" vibe which was fantastic! I loved trying to figure out who the bad guy/girl was, whilst trying to figure out what she had done in the past. I was absolutely sucked in and couldn't get enough of this book!
The characters were fantastic! Leah was the star of the book obviously. As we begin to get an understanding of her character and personality, why she is the way, she is she is extremely likeable despite her flaws. You find yourself caring about what is happening to her even though you have no idea what she was previously involved in. The other characters in the book were fantastic! Both in the past and present. There were not too many characters either which I enjoyed. I find I tend to read so fast that I often forget who is who, so she made it easy for me! Especially because I read this book so quickly because I was totally hooked!
I loved the way this book was written. It went back and forth to Leah's past and present so naturally. Her writing style is superb. I see it being compared to "gone girl"... Everything is being compared to that bloody book! I think this was far superior. I also think it would make a fantastic movie! This is another one with potential to be HUGE and I really hope it is.
Would I recommend it?
YES YES YES YES YES!!! Go read it!
Many thanks to Kathryn Croft via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. And also a massive thanks to all my GoodReads friends who kept recommending it to me!
For more reviews visit my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
Follow me on Twitter
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
September 10, 2015
For years Leah had punished herself by barely living a life.
WHY???
When the time came that Leah wanted to set herself free, it was being snatched away
from her.
WHY?
Somebody was stalking Leah?
WHO? WHY?
** HOT DAMN...,THIS IS ONE FRICKIN HOT MAMA ........
A literary suspense novel that plays games with your mind!!!!!
There are many psychological mystery stories that keep you turning pages....
Would I say it's perfect? Possibly not. Yet, I sure think it's one of the better books of this type!
I'm starting to think it's a little funny how much we've read book promotions - and readers
expressing ... "A book for those who loved 'Gone Girl'.
The term has been used so much now .... that maybe 'Gone Girl' has become a genre of its own.
We have Children's books, Teen books, non-fiction, fiction, thrillers, Mystery, science, history,
Art, etc... and the *new* 'Dictionary- Book-Genre-Category', is: "Gone Girl"
We laugh , but it's a little how our language has evolved.
Regardless - Would I consider this book in the new "Gone Girl", category? I suppose it fits--not that the stories themselves are the same at all -- but what 'is' common
in all these books, (The Silent Wife', 'The Girl On The Train, 'Pretty Baby', 'The Life and Death of Sophie Stark', etc.), is that the reader is engaged with questions from beginning to the end.
In each one of these books 'the questions' and the mystery – psychological suspense- whether it's earth shattering suspense, or simply a desire to complete the puzzle--
It's the Questions in the readers mind, that keeps one turning those pages!
Kathryn Croft delivers the suspense...with characters that feel real....with genuine emotion!
4.5 Stars!
Than You Bookouture, Netgalley, and Kathryn Croft!!!!
WHY???
When the time came that Leah wanted to set herself free, it was being snatched away
from her.
WHY?
Somebody was stalking Leah?
WHO? WHY?
** HOT DAMN...,THIS IS ONE FRICKIN HOT MAMA ........
A literary suspense novel that plays games with your mind!!!!!
There are many psychological mystery stories that keep you turning pages....
Would I say it's perfect? Possibly not. Yet, I sure think it's one of the better books of this type!
I'm starting to think it's a little funny how much we've read book promotions - and readers
expressing ... "A book for those who loved 'Gone Girl'.
The term has been used so much now .... that maybe 'Gone Girl' has become a genre of its own.
We have Children's books, Teen books, non-fiction, fiction, thrillers, Mystery, science, history,
Art, etc... and the *new* 'Dictionary- Book-Genre-Category', is: "Gone Girl"
We laugh , but it's a little how our language has evolved.
Regardless - Would I consider this book in the new "Gone Girl", category? I suppose it fits--not that the stories themselves are the same at all -- but what 'is' common
in all these books, (The Silent Wife', 'The Girl On The Train, 'Pretty Baby', 'The Life and Death of Sophie Stark', etc.), is that the reader is engaged with questions from beginning to the end.
In each one of these books 'the questions' and the mystery – psychological suspense- whether it's earth shattering suspense, or simply a desire to complete the puzzle--
It's the Questions in the readers mind, that keeps one turning those pages!
Kathryn Croft delivers the suspense...with characters that feel real....with genuine emotion!
4.5 Stars!
Than You Bookouture, Netgalley, and Kathryn Croft!!!!
December 23, 2015
This is one amazing read.
What a journey I have been on with Leah Mills. Leah Mills is now a young woman living with an horrendous burden of a past she was involved in when younger. A boyfriend she once had. Adam the lad with the "attitude" who came across to me as the 'poor little rich kid' who endeared himself to Leah.
Then there was her friend and her boyfriend.
Coming up to date in present time, we have Leah who is living in a little flat, with her books as her friends and her little job at the library which is her sole main 'outlet' called Life, her Life, Leah's life
We go back and forth in time and present, at first I was wondering what was happening, then once I got the gist of how this author was working this story, I relaxed and got 'right into it' hook, line and sinker.
This has enough twists in it, it can tie you up in knots.
All the way through, we have questions, so many questions going around in our heads, this author was very clever to lead right up to the end revealing all.
1. Why is Leah living a lonely life away from her friends and her Mother
2. Why doesn't she have any friends anymore
3. WHAT the hell happened
Why is everything going wrong in her life?
Whose watching her?
What happened to her friends?
what the hell is going on.....
I was saying these words so many times throughout reading this, "what's going on" "what happened"
"who happened"
....
and then I thought, OMG I do hope after all this tension and the stress level I have been under reading this, that the author makes it worth it.
Oh she certainly made it with it. Oh yes and with another punch toward the end for good measure.
WOW.
This was an awesome book to read. It well deserves top stars and certainly a book I would recommend and purchase for others who like books such as this.
Tense
Anxious
Breath taking moments.
I want to thank * Kathryn Croft * the author for writing such a wonderful book and to *Bookouture via Net Galley * for my copy.
What a journey.
What a journey I have been on with Leah Mills. Leah Mills is now a young woman living with an horrendous burden of a past she was involved in when younger. A boyfriend she once had. Adam the lad with the "attitude" who came across to me as the 'poor little rich kid' who endeared himself to Leah.
Then there was her friend and her boyfriend.
Coming up to date in present time, we have Leah who is living in a little flat, with her books as her friends and her little job at the library which is her sole main 'outlet' called Life, her Life, Leah's life
We go back and forth in time and present, at first I was wondering what was happening, then once I got the gist of how this author was working this story, I relaxed and got 'right into it' hook, line and sinker.
This has enough twists in it, it can tie you up in knots.
All the way through, we have questions, so many questions going around in our heads, this author was very clever to lead right up to the end revealing all.
1. Why is Leah living a lonely life away from her friends and her Mother
2. Why doesn't she have any friends anymore
3. WHAT the hell happened
Why is everything going wrong in her life?
Whose watching her?
What happened to her friends?
what the hell is going on.....
I was saying these words so many times throughout reading this, "what's going on" "what happened"
"who happened"
....
and then I thought, OMG I do hope after all this tension and the stress level I have been under reading this, that the author makes it worth it.
Oh she certainly made it with it. Oh yes and with another punch toward the end for good measure.
WOW.
This was an awesome book to read. It well deserves top stars and certainly a book I would recommend and purchase for others who like books such as this.
Tense
Anxious
Breath taking moments.
I want to thank * Kathryn Croft * the author for writing such a wonderful book and to *Bookouture via Net Galley * for my copy.
What a journey.
December 6, 2015
Thank you Netgalley for my copy!
This is my first book by Kathryn Croft and I am looking forward to reading another by her! This was an exciting read that had me flipping the pages as fast as possible. This was also another "kept me up all night" (I really have got to stop that. Not conducive to parenting small children!!!) :)
Leah has a secret she would like to keep buried in her past. She's a loner and has no friends. She believes that living low will keep her past in the past and let her glide by in life without being noticed. This all changes when she takes a chance romantically and her life is turned upside down. Someone wants her to keep remembering... And keep feeling guilty.
I really enjoyed how we are fed little pieces of the story at a time; this kept me hooked and hence the "just one more chapter" that led me to finishing the book. This book was twisty and kept me guessing. It wasn't extremely graphic and gory, more of a creepy/stalker feel to it. The characters were well developed and I found myself caring about Leah and hoping her big secret wasn't anything too bad.
I would highly recommend this book to those who love a true psychological thriller.
This is my first book by Kathryn Croft and I am looking forward to reading another by her! This was an exciting read that had me flipping the pages as fast as possible. This was also another "kept me up all night" (I really have got to stop that. Not conducive to parenting small children!!!) :)
Leah has a secret she would like to keep buried in her past. She's a loner and has no friends. She believes that living low will keep her past in the past and let her glide by in life without being noticed. This all changes when she takes a chance romantically and her life is turned upside down. Someone wants her to keep remembering... And keep feeling guilty.
I really enjoyed how we are fed little pieces of the story at a time; this kept me hooked and hence the "just one more chapter" that led me to finishing the book. This book was twisty and kept me guessing. It wasn't extremely graphic and gory, more of a creepy/stalker feel to it. The characters were well developed and I found myself caring about Leah and hoping her big secret wasn't anything too bad.
I would highly recommend this book to those who love a true psychological thriller.
July 6, 2024
This is one of those books where you tell yourself 'just one more page' and 'one more chapter', forget it, you will probably devour it in one go as I did. A really exceptional psychological thriller that kept me so fully engaged I forgot the world around me. The desire to know the truth propels you on and on with this very well written chilling novel. Put this one on your to-read list for certain if you enjoy this type of read.
Kathryn Croft writes exceptionally well, with plenty of tension and chill factor through the entire book, it took so many subtle turns that I was kept guessing and the reveals were brilliant. Can't ask for much more than that really huh?
Leah Mills lives a life of a fugitive – kept on the run by one terrible day from her past. It is a lonely life, without a social life or friends until – longing for a connection – she meets Julian. For the first time she dares to believe she can live a normal life.
Then, on the fourteenth anniversary of that day, she receives a card. Someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won’t stop until they’ve destroyed the life Leah has created.
But is Leah all she seems? Or does she deserve everything she gets?
Everyone has secrets. But some are deadly.
SECRETS.
The book keeps you as the reader in the dark from the start, it's not a book that reveals itself to you then you just enjoy the ride to watch it roll out. I was engaged from page one in what the truth was about Leah's strange and solitary life, what was in her past and trying to piece together why things were starting to crumble around her now after hiding away for so long. Something or someone from the past has caught up with her, but why, who and what's next?
All is revealed dear reader, but the journey to the truth is so entertaining and fascinating that you will be hooked on ever word, event and chapter. What happens next will astound you...
The plot is really excellent, it's well paced and fast enough, I found Leah was a really well written and curiously intriguing character, I was keen to see her secrets spilled out for me to know what was going on. She certainly plays a strong starring role in this exceptional novel. Absolutely a 5* review for me and highly recommended to anyone that just loved a damn good book!
Kathryn Croft writes exceptionally well, with plenty of tension and chill factor through the entire book, it took so many subtle turns that I was kept guessing and the reveals were brilliant. Can't ask for much more than that really huh?
Leah Mills lives a life of a fugitive – kept on the run by one terrible day from her past. It is a lonely life, without a social life or friends until – longing for a connection – she meets Julian. For the first time she dares to believe she can live a normal life.
Then, on the fourteenth anniversary of that day, she receives a card. Someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won’t stop until they’ve destroyed the life Leah has created.
But is Leah all she seems? Or does she deserve everything she gets?
Everyone has secrets. But some are deadly.
SECRETS.
The book keeps you as the reader in the dark from the start, it's not a book that reveals itself to you then you just enjoy the ride to watch it roll out. I was engaged from page one in what the truth was about Leah's strange and solitary life, what was in her past and trying to piece together why things were starting to crumble around her now after hiding away for so long. Something or someone from the past has caught up with her, but why, who and what's next?
All is revealed dear reader, but the journey to the truth is so entertaining and fascinating that you will be hooked on ever word, event and chapter. What happens next will astound you...
The plot is really excellent, it's well paced and fast enough, I found Leah was a really well written and curiously intriguing character, I was keen to see her secrets spilled out for me to know what was going on. She certainly plays a strong starring role in this exceptional novel. Absolutely a 5* review for me and highly recommended to anyone that just loved a damn good book!
December 29, 2016
“The Girl With No Past” by Kathryn Croft, is a psychological thriller, a real treat to read, and will keep you guessing right to the end with the shocker in the final chapter. I have to admit I did not believe it was going to be as good as it was, and I saw I was in for a real treat!
A car accident and she is the “only person breathing in the car.” She is the driver.
This is the story of Leah, a single thirty year old, being haunted as an adult, now unable to live a “normal” life after her life was altered by a horrific sequence of events as a teenager. Leah loves her solitude and lives a reclusive isolated life, working as a librarian, surrounding herself literally with books in her flat, to fill her life.
But why is she so afraid to live, afraid of the past? What happened to make her like this? My heart went out to her…that someone could be so sad and lonely.
We then see Leah attempting to start to build a social life and make connections with single men via the internet. Not exactly a great idea!
The story is told in the first person, and the chapters jump between the present and the past. This process works well in the book, as it allows the reader to try to gain an understanding of What Happened?
Details are disclosed on a need to know basis, and raise the thrill level.
But now things are different. She had received a card, threatening emails, with links to the past. Someone is trying to destroy her life…but WHO could she trust! Someone was stalking her!
As I read this book I found myself not trusting anyone. I was so suspicious of everyone she came in contact with.
This was a well written book full of gripping suspense I'd highly recommend.
Did I guess who was involved? Yes, towards the end, I had a good idea, but there was a shock at the end of the book. Read this book to find out.
Many thanks to the advanced copy I received from the publisher via NetGalley.
A car accident and she is the “only person breathing in the car.” She is the driver.
This is the story of Leah, a single thirty year old, being haunted as an adult, now unable to live a “normal” life after her life was altered by a horrific sequence of events as a teenager. Leah loves her solitude and lives a reclusive isolated life, working as a librarian, surrounding herself literally with books in her flat, to fill her life.
But why is she so afraid to live, afraid of the past? What happened to make her like this? My heart went out to her…that someone could be so sad and lonely.
We then see Leah attempting to start to build a social life and make connections with single men via the internet. Not exactly a great idea!
The story is told in the first person, and the chapters jump between the present and the past. This process works well in the book, as it allows the reader to try to gain an understanding of What Happened?
Details are disclosed on a need to know basis, and raise the thrill level.
But now things are different. She had received a card, threatening emails, with links to the past. Someone is trying to destroy her life…but WHO could she trust! Someone was stalking her!
As I read this book I found myself not trusting anyone. I was so suspicious of everyone she came in contact with.
This was a well written book full of gripping suspense I'd highly recommend.
Did I guess who was involved? Yes, towards the end, I had a good idea, but there was a shock at the end of the book. Read this book to find out.
Many thanks to the advanced copy I received from the publisher via NetGalley.
October 7, 2015
Another book that is compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train....I really wish people would stop doing that. Some books just don't belong on that scale and, unfortunately, I think this is one of them.
First off, I love the title! It promises to reveal something of this girl's life that is so awful, so wrong, that she forgets everything & everyone from her past. Leaving only room for someone new that she's become. Honestly? I didn't really see that in this book. Don't get me wrong, she was involved in something that could crush a person, making them want to forget their past, etc. I felt that she was only trying to punish herself by giving herself a lonely life but, I guess, I don't think she really deserved to. Throughout the book, it was leading up to this big reveal of what happened. I couldn't help but keep reading. I just had to know what happened!! Leah was being stalked the whole time, a few harassment situations but nothing very major. Then towards the end, things are getting revealed....who the stalker is, what horrible thing Leah did as a teen, but it left me with.....that's it? I can't help feeling disappointed. I think one of the things she did was well within her right to do....given the circumstances (I'm sure a lot of people would disagree but I don't really care). Anyway, the book was good for an afternoon escape but not something that left me in awe. I suppose I was expecting something a little more suspenseful, more terrible (which the major instance was terrible but, well, I don't want to say without revealing anything) but just didn't deliver.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First off, I love the title! It promises to reveal something of this girl's life that is so awful, so wrong, that she forgets everything & everyone from her past. Leaving only room for someone new that she's become. Honestly? I didn't really see that in this book. Don't get me wrong, she was involved in something that could crush a person, making them want to forget their past, etc. I felt that she was only trying to punish herself by giving herself a lonely life but, I guess, I don't think she really deserved to. Throughout the book, it was leading up to this big reveal of what happened. I couldn't help but keep reading. I just had to know what happened!! Leah was being stalked the whole time, a few harassment situations but nothing very major. Then towards the end, things are getting revealed....who the stalker is, what horrible thing Leah did as a teen, but it left me with.....that's it? I can't help feeling disappointed. I think one of the things she did was well within her right to do....given the circumstances (I'm sure a lot of people would disagree but I don't really care). Anyway, the book was good for an afternoon escape but not something that left me in awe. I suppose I was expecting something a little more suspenseful, more terrible (which the major instance was terrible but, well, I don't want to say without revealing anything) but just didn't deliver.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2016
Don't you just love it when you start a book that you have minimal expectations about, and it just soars above them and really surprises you?!! The Girl With No Past was just that kind of read for me.
Told in varying times from past to present, you meet the main character Leah Mills. Leah Mills has a buried secret...and it's a big one. She has tried to bury it, but it stains her present life so much that she feels unworthy of having any form of happiness. That is until one day, she changes up her routine, and little by little forces are reaching into her life and giving her a taste of the life that she has so successfully shunned for herself...one with happiness. As time goes on she starts to wonder-has she suffered enough? Can she start to let people in?
The plot thickens as random acts start to occur around or to Leah, and it becomes apparent that someone has a vendetta to pick with her. But who?
Amazing writing as we see the conflict that Leah goes through as she struggles with wanting a better life yet not feeling worthy. I loved the build up of suspense with the antagonist playing mind games and constantly keeping Leah off balance.
My only thought when it was over was that is that I would have liked to see more interaction between the final cast of characters to allow for some closure.
All in all this was a a wonderful surprise and I highly recommend to all who love a good thriller!
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Told in varying times from past to present, you meet the main character Leah Mills. Leah Mills has a buried secret...and it's a big one. She has tried to bury it, but it stains her present life so much that she feels unworthy of having any form of happiness. That is until one day, she changes up her routine, and little by little forces are reaching into her life and giving her a taste of the life that she has so successfully shunned for herself...one with happiness. As time goes on she starts to wonder-has she suffered enough? Can she start to let people in?
The plot thickens as random acts start to occur around or to Leah, and it becomes apparent that someone has a vendetta to pick with her. But who?
Amazing writing as we see the conflict that Leah goes through as she struggles with wanting a better life yet not feeling worthy. I loved the build up of suspense with the antagonist playing mind games and constantly keeping Leah off balance.
My only thought when it was over was that is that I would have liked to see more interaction between the final cast of characters to allow for some closure.
All in all this was a a wonderful surprise and I highly recommend to all who love a good thriller!
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2016
I had never felt more alone. That was what happened when you let people in.Este libro fue una gran sorpresa. Pensaba que me iba a encontrar con una novela negra del montón, sin mucho más para ofrecer que entretenimiento; sin embargo, a medida que iba leyendo me iba dando cuenta de que era más de lo que aparentaba en un principio. Venganza, remordimiento, soledad, secretos, superación y pérdida componen este relato que no me dio respiro en ningún momento.
The Girl with No Past está magistralmente escrito, con voces bien definidas, personajes sólidos, historia lenta pero desarrollada de manera excelente y un final estremecedor a la par que sorprendente.
You can’t erase the past but you can make sure your future isn’t dictated by it.Lo que más disfruté fueron los cambios de tiempo. En el presente, la protagonista (Leah Mills) es una persona un tanto diferente del resto: no tiene amigos, le teme al contacto humano, es desconfiada al extremo, una asocial amante de la rutina con la lectura como su único amante. ¿Por qué es así? ¿Qué es lo que provocó ese comportamiento tan solitario? Y lo que es aún más extraño: ¿por qué a ella, una mujer tan tranquila, le empiezan a llegar crípticos mensajes que amenazan con destruir lo poco que le queda de su apacible vida? ¿Qué es lo que oculta? ¿Acaso se merece esa fría y miserable existencia?
La autora, con un manejo sublime del misterio, nos traslada al pasado de Leah Mills, más precisamente a su etapa escolar, para que descubramos su secreto más oscuro; un secreto del que nadie quiere hablar y todos quieren olvidar.
February 6, 2017
I liked this book but it took a little too long for things to surface. I'm rating it three stars as it could have been a lot better.
Leah was a frustrating character at times but I could understand why she was the way she was. I'm glad Croft wrote chapters on teenage Leah too because from those chapters you could tell that something very sinister was going to happen. I guessed what was going to happen but it still added some suspense to the story. The rest of the characters felt kind of off to me. I'm not sure if that's because they were supposed to be off or there was some problems with them. Maria was crazy, she was like obsessed with becoming Leah's friend and it was weird. Julian felt off to me too. but his and Leah's relationship with each other seemed forced and not very authentic. The cause of Sam's anger never surfaced? What role did Leah's therapist play in the story? I thought there would be something at the end with her where Leah told the honest truth but no. Adam, Imogen and Corey weren't very likeable and I don't understand how they could be so horrible.
The story was an average one but I enjoyed it. It took way too long to get to why everything was happening and that always annoys me. I understand Croft was trying to build up suspense but honestly I just wanted to find out what happened and be done with it. The one thing that I really liked though was how we got slithers of the truth from early on. A lot of authors will dangle something in front of you for ages and all you know is something bad happened but Croft slipped in little things here and there and okay, it made it easier to guess but you can't not write about what happened when we are inside a characters head. I felt like Croft needed to add in more suspects. Most people probably guessed it because there were only 2 possible people it could have been. The one thing I did not guess was the very end .
The writing was generally very good. I enjoyed reading it. It had a nice flow to it and it was easy to read. I liked the pace but it definitely wasn't a thrilling pace. It never had me on the edge of my seat. I don't think the title of the book matches the story.
I would recommend this book and I would read another book by Kathryn Croft.
*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Leah was a frustrating character at times but I could understand why she was the way she was. I'm glad Croft wrote chapters on teenage Leah too because from those chapters you could tell that something very sinister was going to happen. I guessed what was going to happen but it still added some suspense to the story. The rest of the characters felt kind of off to me. I'm not sure if that's because they were supposed to be off or there was some problems with them. Maria was crazy, she was like obsessed with becoming Leah's friend and it was weird. Julian felt off to me too. but his and Leah's relationship with each other seemed forced and not very authentic. The cause of Sam's anger never surfaced? What role did Leah's therapist play in the story? I thought there would be something at the end with her where Leah told the honest truth but no. Adam, Imogen and Corey weren't very likeable and I don't understand how they could be so horrible.
The story was an average one but I enjoyed it. It took way too long to get to why everything was happening and that always annoys me. I understand Croft was trying to build up suspense but honestly I just wanted to find out what happened and be done with it. The one thing that I really liked though was how we got slithers of the truth from early on. A lot of authors will dangle something in front of you for ages and all you know is something bad happened but Croft slipped in little things here and there and okay, it made it easier to guess but you can't not write about what happened when we are inside a characters head. I felt like Croft needed to add in more suspects. Most people probably guessed it because there were only 2 possible people it could have been. The one thing I did not guess was the very end .
The writing was generally very good. I enjoyed reading it. It had a nice flow to it and it was easy to read. I liked the pace but it definitely wasn't a thrilling pace. It never had me on the edge of my seat. I don't think the title of the book matches the story.
I would recommend this book and I would read another book by Kathryn Croft.
*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2015
I decided to read this book after having it recommended to me on Goodreads and I was not disappointed.
An excellent psychological thriller by author Kathryn Croft whom I had not previously heard of but will certainly be watching from now on.
The story features Leah Mills, a young woman with a dark past and lots of secrets that she wishes to remain so. She lives a lonely life but when she meets interesting new people, her life changes drastically and she hopes that she can start again to live a normal life.I have read some very good psychological thrillers of late such as 'Gone Girl, 'The Good Girl', 'The Girl on a Train; to name a few, but this book was up there with them and deserves to be read and applauded.
This book is a page turner and the more you read the more you want to know, once I started it I was reading at every possible opportunity to find out what was going to happen to Leah.
This book was a real bonus for me, I had no high hopes or expectations, no previous knowledge of the author and did not know a lot more than the small review I had read. So to find this excellent book was a real win win, not only reading a very good book but discovering a new author that I intend to read more of.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this book in return for a honest review.
An excellent psychological thriller by author Kathryn Croft whom I had not previously heard of but will certainly be watching from now on.
The story features Leah Mills, a young woman with a dark past and lots of secrets that she wishes to remain so. She lives a lonely life but when she meets interesting new people, her life changes drastically and she hopes that she can start again to live a normal life.I have read some very good psychological thrillers of late such as 'Gone Girl, 'The Good Girl', 'The Girl on a Train; to name a few, but this book was up there with them and deserves to be read and applauded.
This book is a page turner and the more you read the more you want to know, once I started it I was reading at every possible opportunity to find out what was going to happen to Leah.
This book was a real bonus for me, I had no high hopes or expectations, no previous knowledge of the author and did not know a lot more than the small review I had read. So to find this excellent book was a real win win, not only reading a very good book but discovering a new author that I intend to read more of.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this book in return for a honest review.
November 9, 2015
I saw this one being recommended a lot especially by friends on GR. It starts off reasonably well. Leah is a thirty something now living alone in London. Now living a reclusive life she keeps to herself and rarely lets anyone into her world. We know from the outset that years previously, in her teenage years, she had been involved in a crash and is running away from something - her past - but why? The book, whilst always narrated by Leah, moves easily between timeframes as we're taken from her school days to present day. We know that she guards her privacy with a ferocious tenacity so when friends start making headway into her life it is with much trepidation that she takes each step into socialising.
Then things start to go wrong as and the fear factor starts to creep up as she begins to receive strange notes and emails about her past. Her past that she has so painstakingly fought to escape from starts to haunt her once again. But who is sending the emails, who knows her secrets and what does this person want from her?
The problem for me was that the list of suspects were pretty clear from early on. I took it down to two people and was right about one of them! It's a fairly well written story and it moves at a good pace, but apart from one bit, I had worked out pretty much what to expect. Leah was a character I didn't really care for much and I don't really know why? I guess I expected more from her than the gushing little girl that she became because a boy 'liked' her. There's a particular point in the book set in a pub that really irked me. It was a decision Leah made to reacquaint herself with her past and when I thought about it later I got really annoyed. After all that had gone on I couldn't understand how she could go there? Makes sense if you read! We get to the last chapter and that was no real surprise because that was the resolution I had been expecting throughout.
It's not a bad book, not by any means and is certainly good enough to hold the attention span. However, it's one of those that you either work out early on or you don't. If that doesn't bother you either way then it's enjoyable enough fare, and will certainly keep you entertained on an early darkness descending autumnal evening. Just wasn't quite there to push it into 'really exciting' territory.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the copy.
Then things start to go wrong as and the fear factor starts to creep up as she begins to receive strange notes and emails about her past. Her past that she has so painstakingly fought to escape from starts to haunt her once again. But who is sending the emails, who knows her secrets and what does this person want from her?
The problem for me was that the list of suspects were pretty clear from early on. I took it down to two people and was right about one of them! It's a fairly well written story and it moves at a good pace, but apart from one bit, I had worked out pretty much what to expect. Leah was a character I didn't really care for much and I don't really know why? I guess I expected more from her than the gushing little girl that she became because a boy 'liked' her. There's a particular point in the book set in a pub that really irked me. It was a decision Leah made to reacquaint herself with her past and when I thought about it later I got really annoyed. After all that had gone on I couldn't understand how she could go there? Makes sense if you read! We get to the last chapter and that was no real surprise because that was the resolution I had been expecting throughout.
It's not a bad book, not by any means and is certainly good enough to hold the attention span. However, it's one of those that you either work out early on or you don't. If that doesn't bother you either way then it's enjoyable enough fare, and will certainly keep you entertained on an early darkness descending autumnal evening. Just wasn't quite there to push it into 'really exciting' territory.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the copy.
January 15, 2016
After Reading Behind Closed Doors i was a bit hesitant to give this one a go but luckily for me i did this was definitely a winner for Kathryn Croft Leah did a very bad thing in her younger years now an adult someone is stalking her through letters she is receiving it gets to a point where she does not know who to trust but realises she must face the past.
I was not expecting much but boy what a ride i got the characters were strong & the plot was great loved the ending was a real page turner.
Don't believe the blurb that this is like The Girl On The Train its a million times better than that believe me.
Kathryn Croft's writing style much improved from Behind Closed Doors which was a disappointment.
highly recommended
I was not expecting much but boy what a ride i got the characters were strong & the plot was great loved the ending was a real page turner.
Don't believe the blurb that this is like The Girl On The Train its a million times better than that believe me.
Kathryn Croft's writing style much improved from Behind Closed Doors which was a disappointment.
highly recommended
October 18, 2015
Absolutely loved this book. I was on the edge of my seat all the way through wondering what did she do? It was driving me crazy. Then once I knew what she did, was the ending going to live up to all the hype? Yes it did, I had to go back and read the end twice to make sure that what I thought had just happened had, and it did. Brilliant ending that left you thinking. Will have to look out for more books by this author. This would be one of my favourite reads this year.
November 3, 2015
Leah Mills has carved out a life for herself, a very quiet one but she gets by. A job in the library that she enjoys, her small apartment where she feels safe, and her one friend who works with her. You wonder why is this intelligent young woman described as pretty living such a lonely life. Well you will be surprised.
I really liked this book and it is indeed a psychological thriller. We find out what happened some 20 years ago in bits and pieces, as her life begins unraveling. There are rays of hope, she engages with a young man on line and meets with him, they seem to have a good thing going, until something inexplicable happens. She is in line for a promotion at the library, we keep waiting for that to happen.
This is a very well written, highly readable and intense book and it’s a debut novel! The story is told in first person and we are given some glimpses into her past, particularly her high school years. At that time she was a sociable, well liked young woman, excellent student who thinks about what she would like to do with her life. She has a best friend, Imogene and then a boyfriend, Adam. These three become a foursome when Corey dates Imogene. Leah is an only child and is watched over cautiously by her parents who have never has any reason to doubt her honesty. Being teenagers they do the usual things, trying out beer, new sexual awakenings, but there is something not quite right about Adam. He has a radiant personality and everyone likes to be near him. But his mood can change abruptly and Leah sees flashes of him that she doesn’t like or understand.
This book is a very fast read, it kept me interested and the author paced the story well with the tension building until the end, which is no easy feat. The writing is very good, reading an ARC I’m not allowed to quote any passages. The characters are well developed and I really felt empathy for Leah.There were quite a few twists and I thought I knew the ending but I was surprised, what a treat!
Unfortunately as she had with Adam, Leah will again suffer from not understanding a person’s “dark” side, she is too trusting and this does not bode well.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it quite highly.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy of this great thriller
I really liked this book and it is indeed a psychological thriller. We find out what happened some 20 years ago in bits and pieces, as her life begins unraveling. There are rays of hope, she engages with a young man on line and meets with him, they seem to have a good thing going, until something inexplicable happens. She is in line for a promotion at the library, we keep waiting for that to happen.
This is a very well written, highly readable and intense book and it’s a debut novel! The story is told in first person and we are given some glimpses into her past, particularly her high school years. At that time she was a sociable, well liked young woman, excellent student who thinks about what she would like to do with her life. She has a best friend, Imogene and then a boyfriend, Adam. These three become a foursome when Corey dates Imogene. Leah is an only child and is watched over cautiously by her parents who have never has any reason to doubt her honesty. Being teenagers they do the usual things, trying out beer, new sexual awakenings, but there is something not quite right about Adam. He has a radiant personality and everyone likes to be near him. But his mood can change abruptly and Leah sees flashes of him that she doesn’t like or understand.
This book is a very fast read, it kept me interested and the author paced the story well with the tension building until the end, which is no easy feat. The writing is very good, reading an ARC I’m not allowed to quote any passages. The characters are well developed and I really felt empathy for Leah.There were quite a few twists and I thought I knew the ending but I was surprised, what a treat!
Unfortunately as she had with Adam, Leah will again suffer from not understanding a person’s “dark” side, she is too trusting and this does not bode well.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it quite highly.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy of this great thriller
October 5, 2015
This is one heck of a dark, tense chiller of a read. I am seeing it being likened to Gone Girl and Girl on a Train and I really hope that doesn’t put people off reading this book, because it is getting tiresome seeing every psychological thriller being compared to those books, and this is a book that deserves to be recognised for its own merits.
Our main character Leah lives a very solitary life by choice. Fourteen years ago something happened, the full details of which we do not find out until the end of the read. Apart from seeing Leah in the present day we also have chapters focussing on Leah’s schooldays, her group of friends and her first love. We know that they are connected to the tragedy in Leah’s life and have a pretty good idea from the opening chapter as to part of what happened, but we certainly don’t know the full extent for a long while.
What we do know at the start is that Leah is riddled with guilt and has chosen her lifestyle as a form of penance. Nobody knows her past and that is the way she wants it to stay.
Now though, she is beginning to think it is time to enter the world again and rebuild her life but unfortunately her past is about to catch up with her. A string of seemingly unconnected instances soon begin to escalate and she realises that she is in danger. But who is her tormentor?
It is one of those reads where you just feel that you cannot trust any of the characters. I doubted them all at one time or another and was really kept guessing as to who her nemesis was. I was even doubting Leah herself at times, because you soon find out that she is not averse to telling the odd lie at times.
I have to say I did like Leah – how can you not like someone who prefers to buy books instead of furniture, and I am not sure why exactly I found her appealing because she can come across as rather a dull person. Pretty soon though she was inside my head and I kept thinking about her at different times of the day.
I did have a couple of minor niggles about the story, most notably to do with her therapist who didn’t seem to show very much in the way of duty of care to Leah, but those niggles didn’t really take away from the read, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the review copy.
Our main character Leah lives a very solitary life by choice. Fourteen years ago something happened, the full details of which we do not find out until the end of the read. Apart from seeing Leah in the present day we also have chapters focussing on Leah’s schooldays, her group of friends and her first love. We know that they are connected to the tragedy in Leah’s life and have a pretty good idea from the opening chapter as to part of what happened, but we certainly don’t know the full extent for a long while.
What we do know at the start is that Leah is riddled with guilt and has chosen her lifestyle as a form of penance. Nobody knows her past and that is the way she wants it to stay.
Now though, she is beginning to think it is time to enter the world again and rebuild her life but unfortunately her past is about to catch up with her. A string of seemingly unconnected instances soon begin to escalate and she realises that she is in danger. But who is her tormentor?
It is one of those reads where you just feel that you cannot trust any of the characters. I doubted them all at one time or another and was really kept guessing as to who her nemesis was. I was even doubting Leah herself at times, because you soon find out that she is not averse to telling the odd lie at times.
I have to say I did like Leah – how can you not like someone who prefers to buy books instead of furniture, and I am not sure why exactly I found her appealing because she can come across as rather a dull person. Pretty soon though she was inside my head and I kept thinking about her at different times of the day.
I did have a couple of minor niggles about the story, most notably to do with her therapist who didn’t seem to show very much in the way of duty of care to Leah, but those niggles didn’t really take away from the read, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the review copy.
October 23, 2015
www.snazzybooks.com
I loved this book! Don't let the fact that it's deemed 'for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train', like millions of other books at the moment also are, because for once this book is actually as good as those - if not better!
The story drew me in so much. I was completely intrigued as to why Leah is living such a miserable life, what exactly from her past she's paying for, and exactly what happened back in her schooldays! Kathryn Croft manages to beautifully draw the reader in to this mystery, slowly revealing more as the novel continues, as well as some twists and turns to keep you guessing!
I guess the best part of this novel is just how involved you feel with Leah. The story jumps from the present tense to the events leading up to this awful thing Leah seems to have done (of what exactly we don't know, until the very end). At first this writing style is a little confusing but I soon got used to it. You feel yourself becoming more and more sympathetic towards her as the novel goes on and the sad life she's confined herself to, but you're not sure what she's done. Because of this I always felt a little unsure and hesitant towards her.
It's also really interesting to read about how it affected different members of the community and her family, and why she seems to have got all the blame. All is revealed...
The pace is fast, the writing is great and the characters are a convincing mix of nasty and nice that leaves you doubting one then another!
Give this a go if you're a fan of this genre, or even if you're not- I doubt you'll be disappointed :)
** Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel in return for an honest review. **
I loved this book! Don't let the fact that it's deemed 'for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train', like millions of other books at the moment also are, because for once this book is actually as good as those - if not better!
The story drew me in so much. I was completely intrigued as to why Leah is living such a miserable life, what exactly from her past she's paying for, and exactly what happened back in her schooldays! Kathryn Croft manages to beautifully draw the reader in to this mystery, slowly revealing more as the novel continues, as well as some twists and turns to keep you guessing!
I guess the best part of this novel is just how involved you feel with Leah. The story jumps from the present tense to the events leading up to this awful thing Leah seems to have done (of what exactly we don't know, until the very end). At first this writing style is a little confusing but I soon got used to it. You feel yourself becoming more and more sympathetic towards her as the novel goes on and the sad life she's confined herself to, but you're not sure what she's done. Because of this I always felt a little unsure and hesitant towards her.
It's also really interesting to read about how it affected different members of the community and her family, and why she seems to have got all the blame. All is revealed...
The pace is fast, the writing is great and the characters are a convincing mix of nasty and nice that leaves you doubting one then another!
Give this a go if you're a fan of this genre, or even if you're not- I doubt you'll be disappointed :)
** Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel in return for an honest review. **
January 4, 2016
Great read! Gotta love karma!
September 22, 2024
This psychological thriller isn’t a whodunit, but rather a “What did she do” and a “What happened before.”
First-person narrator Leah leads a reclusive life and doesn’t let anyone get close to her, fearing that people could find out her dark secret. But then someone sends her a postcard and she realizes that the past is catching up with her …
This book is an exciting (and very dark) psychological thriller with a fascinating main character and I liked the fact that I had to find out what happened before step by step.
It’s just that I didn’t find everything about the closure completely convincing in a psychological sense. Besides, I could see the twists coming a mile away – but then I’m an avid thriller reader and I’ve seen it all.
4 stars.
First-person narrator Leah leads a reclusive life and doesn’t let anyone get close to her, fearing that people could find out her dark secret. But then someone sends her a postcard and she realizes that the past is catching up with her …
This book is an exciting (and very dark) psychological thriller with a fascinating main character and I liked the fact that I had to find out what happened before step by step.
It’s just that I didn’t find everything about the closure completely convincing in a psychological sense. Besides, I could see the twists coming a mile away – but then I’m an avid thriller reader and I’ve seen it all.
4 stars.
September 27, 2015
Leah Mills lives a very solitary life. She's had a troubled past and isolates herself from others only to go out to work in the library. She meets a man online that she thinks she has a connection with and wants to meet but on the anniversary of a big event in her life she begins to receive cards and mails from someone who seems to know her past and her secrets and who seems to have been watching her.
So many questions in Leah's life. Why is she so isolated? What has happened to her? Who is contacting her now? Will she begin to find new friends and love again in her life? What happened to her former friends and boyfriend, Adam?
I have to admit when I started to read this book I thought I was going to be very annoyed with it. The book switches back and forth from Leah's past to Leah in the present. After about four chapters though I got into a groove with how it's done and really began to enjoy the story. What I found was instead on one mystery happening we really end up with two. It doesn't come right out and tell what had happened with Leah in the past so the reader is left guessing. Then in the present someone obviously knows Leah's past and keeps sending her messages. This made for double the suspense and intrigue in the story just wanting answers to everything that was happening.
Overall, a wonderfully written book full of gripping suspense I'd highly recommend. One that I found rather hard to put down as it felt that I had double the plot to unfold.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
So many questions in Leah's life. Why is she so isolated? What has happened to her? Who is contacting her now? Will she begin to find new friends and love again in her life? What happened to her former friends and boyfriend, Adam?
I have to admit when I started to read this book I thought I was going to be very annoyed with it. The book switches back and forth from Leah's past to Leah in the present. After about four chapters though I got into a groove with how it's done and really began to enjoy the story. What I found was instead on one mystery happening we really end up with two. It doesn't come right out and tell what had happened with Leah in the past so the reader is left guessing. Then in the present someone obviously knows Leah's past and keeps sending her messages. This made for double the suspense and intrigue in the story just wanting answers to everything that was happening.
Overall, a wonderfully written book full of gripping suspense I'd highly recommend. One that I found rather hard to put down as it felt that I had double the plot to unfold.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
November 16, 2015
If you like psychological thrillers, you will love this one!
Leah is a young woman living on the edge. Something horrible happened when she was a teenager, something that she has to live with every day of her life.
And then one day, things change. She's getting emails from someone who knows what she's done. It's someone who wants her to pay .. to pay with her life. She loses her job. She loses someone who may have become a good friend. She loses a young man that she hoped would be something special.
There are so many twists and turns in this story telling. The reader gets bits and pieces from Leah, as she remembers it. But is that what really happened? Not until the end do you get the full story.
Amazingly well written! The characters were either very likable or not .. depending on how the author wants them to appear. The entire story was believable as it played out.
Highly recommend with 5 stars!
My sincere thanks to the author / Bookouture / NetGalley for furnishing a digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.
August 17, 2021
This book was about a librarian called Leah with a strange past. She was involved in a crime as a youngster, in a round about way, and this creates some tension as the story unfolds. We don't know what happened; and we see her hermit like existence and wonder what transpired all these years ago.
Her work mates try and engage her into more of a social life, but she seems unable to move on after the apparent first love.
She is scared, strange things happen, she's feeling stalked and followed. This meek and mild nature seems to be a neutral way of being, then she steps up somewhat and decides to take things into her own hands and fight back. We still don't know what this pushback is for.
This was a little cookie cutter, the ending rather bland and upon reflection, Leah was bland too. This was standard fare and I quickly jumped to the Jack Reacher series. Late to the party, yes, but way more exciting!
Her work mates try and engage her into more of a social life, but she seems unable to move on after the apparent first love.
She is scared, strange things happen, she's feeling stalked and followed. This meek and mild nature seems to be a neutral way of being, then she steps up somewhat and decides to take things into her own hands and fight back. We still don't know what this pushback is for.
This was a little cookie cutter, the ending rather bland and upon reflection, Leah was bland too. This was standard fare and I quickly jumped to the Jack Reacher series. Late to the party, yes, but way more exciting!
June 23, 2017
Leah Mills is a woman haunted by an event in her past that eventually catches up with her. The novel flashes between Leah in her late 20s and her teenage years, where we are aware that a terrible event is awaiting her.
It's hard to say much if the plot without giving anything away, but it's fair to say that this story is a study on guilt. The effect that guilt has on Leah's entire life, her relationship with work, her one friend and her Mother.
I think most of us have something or other that we feel guilty about, transgressions small or large that gnaw away at us until we eventually learn to forgive ourselves or at least learn to live with. Leah's guilt is so large that she punishes herself by not living, shutting herself away from anyone and everyone and only living from day to day. As the story begins Leah is just starting to think she can live a 'normal' life, move on a little from her past, but it is just as she's feeling this that voice from the past comes to ruin her present.
When we eventually learn what Leah is guilty of I have to say that I was shocked. I saw something coming but not that. Then there is a final unexpected twist which explained a lot, but was surprising nonetheless.
This is a difficult novel to review without spoiling and there are times I wanted to shake Leah and scream at her, which is testament to how well it was written.
I wouldn't say I 'enjoyed' the story, it's an unsettling and claustrophobic tale with few likeable characters. However it was superbly plotted, cleverly written and extremely memorable, all which make for an excellent story.
It's hard to say much if the plot without giving anything away, but it's fair to say that this story is a study on guilt. The effect that guilt has on Leah's entire life, her relationship with work, her one friend and her Mother.
I think most of us have something or other that we feel guilty about, transgressions small or large that gnaw away at us until we eventually learn to forgive ourselves or at least learn to live with. Leah's guilt is so large that she punishes herself by not living, shutting herself away from anyone and everyone and only living from day to day. As the story begins Leah is just starting to think she can live a 'normal' life, move on a little from her past, but it is just as she's feeling this that voice from the past comes to ruin her present.
When we eventually learn what Leah is guilty of I have to say that I was shocked. I saw something coming but not that. Then there is a final unexpected twist which explained a lot, but was surprising nonetheless.
This is a difficult novel to review without spoiling and there are times I wanted to shake Leah and scream at her, which is testament to how well it was written.
I wouldn't say I 'enjoyed' the story, it's an unsettling and claustrophobic tale with few likeable characters. However it was superbly plotted, cleverly written and extremely memorable, all which make for an excellent story.
February 16, 2016
This book isn't believable. The whole thing seems highly ungrounded in reality. I wanted to get into the story, but instead I kept asking myself what kind of people would just decide they hate someone on the basis of an email from someone they've never met?
There's no evidence in the papers of what happened and Leah's name was kept out of everything? Why would they believe the antagonist? Also, she was never convicted of a crime sooooo what would she have had to report on her application?
This novel is surely reminiscent of the overrated Girl on the Train, but there's nothing near the level of craft from Gone Girl. It's just one long plot device of "oooooh, what could Leah have done that this bad?"
I'll pass.
There's no evidence in the papers of what happened and Leah's name was kept out of everything? Why would they believe the antagonist? Also, she was never convicted of a crime sooooo what would she have had to report on her application?
This novel is surely reminiscent of the overrated Girl on the Train, but there's nothing near the level of craft from Gone Girl. It's just one long plot device of "oooooh, what could Leah have done that this bad?"
I'll pass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2017
Review to come
January 1, 2016
The Girl With No Past is a story of teenage misdemeanours coming back, biting very hard in the bum!
Leah is trying to lead a normal life after being involved in something horrific as a teenager. What happened? Something that has affected Leah and her family since and something that an anonymous tormentor wants to make sure she pays for. It starts with a simple anniversary card and then emails. Leah wants to escape her past but the tormentor is not going away quietly.
This book has all the requirements of a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing threefold - what's going to happen next to Leah, what happened to cause all this and who is the protagonist? It kept me guessing right to the end with the final chapter being a bit of a shock!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl With No Past and I'll be looking up the author's other novels. 4.5*
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me this book to read and review.
Leah is trying to lead a normal life after being involved in something horrific as a teenager. What happened? Something that has affected Leah and her family since and something that an anonymous tormentor wants to make sure she pays for. It starts with a simple anniversary card and then emails. Leah wants to escape her past but the tormentor is not going away quietly.
This book has all the requirements of a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing threefold - what's going to happen next to Leah, what happened to cause all this and who is the protagonist? It kept me guessing right to the end with the final chapter being a bit of a shock!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl With No Past and I'll be looking up the author's other novels. 4.5*
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me this book to read and review.
September 5, 2015
Leah Mills was involved in something awful 14 years ago when she was a teenager, and it's dogged her mind ever since. Although she fled from the town in which it happened (moving to London, where she works in a library and lives almost as a recluse), the thought that her past will catch up with her is always in her mind. Almost as a lark, she visits an online dating site and has a virtual meet-up with site moderator Julian. Second-guessing herself every step of the way as she apparently has done since early childhood - she could be the poster child for insecurity - she begins to think a real relationship with Julian may be possible.
But then, she gets a nasty surprise: Someone, it seems, has discovered her true identity which, on the anniversary of that horrible event, threatens to disrupt her already miserable life. She tries to ignore the message, but as usual, her self-doubt wins out, prompting her to question even more than usual the words and actions of her co-workers (as for friends, fuhgettaboutit; she has none). As it becomes clear that her tormentor isn't going to leave her alone, her self-esteem nosedives to new lows. Meanwhile, neither her Mum, who still lives in the family home near London, or the psychologist she sees every once in a while, is able to help - mostly because she refuses to open up to either of them - but she manages to find a bit of solace through interaction with Julian and a kindly gentleman who frequents the library but in whom she has no romantic interest.
Chapters shuffle back and forth from the present to Leah's school years, a technique of which I'm usually not a fan. But the author uses it to good advantage, here, with each switch adding just enough background and clues to make me reluctant to put the book down till the end, when everything comes together and the realities of past and present are revealed. Early on, I reached my own conclusions - correctly, as it turns out - but it really didn't matter; the devil is in the details, after all.
One thing I never did figure out, though: How is it possible to cradle a mug of hot tea to keep your hands warm while simultaneously surfing through photos on a laptop? Multi-tasker that I am, that's a secret I'd really love to know!
For the record, I received a copy of this book for review at no cost from the publisher through Netgalley.com.
But then, she gets a nasty surprise: Someone, it seems, has discovered her true identity which, on the anniversary of that horrible event, threatens to disrupt her already miserable life. She tries to ignore the message, but as usual, her self-doubt wins out, prompting her to question even more than usual the words and actions of her co-workers (as for friends, fuhgettaboutit; she has none). As it becomes clear that her tormentor isn't going to leave her alone, her self-esteem nosedives to new lows. Meanwhile, neither her Mum, who still lives in the family home near London, or the psychologist she sees every once in a while, is able to help - mostly because she refuses to open up to either of them - but she manages to find a bit of solace through interaction with Julian and a kindly gentleman who frequents the library but in whom she has no romantic interest.
Chapters shuffle back and forth from the present to Leah's school years, a technique of which I'm usually not a fan. But the author uses it to good advantage, here, with each switch adding just enough background and clues to make me reluctant to put the book down till the end, when everything comes together and the realities of past and present are revealed. Early on, I reached my own conclusions - correctly, as it turns out - but it really didn't matter; the devil is in the details, after all.
One thing I never did figure out, though: How is it possible to cradle a mug of hot tea to keep your hands warm while simultaneously surfing through photos on a laptop? Multi-tasker that I am, that's a secret I'd really love to know!
For the record, I received a copy of this book for review at no cost from the publisher through Netgalley.com.
September 8, 2015
An absolutely intriguing, extremely addictive, page turner of a thriller. I loved this book, could not put it down. Leah's closed life, her worries and her fears completely absorbed me and I wanted to know what had made her that way. The author writes beautifully, taking us, assuredly into the minds of each character, so much so that I dreamed about Leah, and woke up wanting to shut myself away and read her story. The ending is packed with myriad twists and turns and the revelations come one after the other. Loved every cunning twist. One other thing I absolutely adored about this book were the many literary references. I liked that Leah worked in a library, her love of books came across and I could so identify with her. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more of this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,330 reviews