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Girl Number One
As a young child, Eleanor Blackwood witnessed her mother's murder in woods near their farm. The killer was never found.
Now an adult, Eleanor discovers a woman's body in the same spot in the Cornish woods where her mother was strangled eighteen years before. But when the police get there, the body has disappeared.
Is Eleanor’s disturbed mind playing tricks on her again, or has her mother’s killer resurfaced? And what does the number on the dead woman’s forehead signify?
Now an adult, Eleanor discovers a woman's body in the same spot in the Cornish woods where her mother was strangled eighteen years before. But when the police get there, the body has disappeared.
Is Eleanor’s disturbed mind playing tricks on her again, or has her mother’s killer resurfaced? And what does the number on the dead woman’s forehead signify?
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 21, 2015
1247 people are currently reading
6345 people want to read
About the author
Jane Holland
74 books556 followersJane Holland is an award-winning British poet and novelist, and proud mum of five amazing kids. The middle child of romance legend Charlotte Lamb, she grew up in Essex and the Isle of Man, but now lives in Cornwall. As Jane Holland, she writes poetry, thrillers, historical suspense and some romance. She also writes commercial women's fiction as Betty Walker, best known for her Cornish Girls wartime sagas. ALSO, try her popular contemporary romance and romcoms as Beth Good! (She also writes as Victoria Lamb, Elizabeth Moss, and Hannah Coates, among other names.)
Photograph credit: Anand Chhabra
Photograph credit: Anand Chhabra
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
August 23, 2016
When she was 6 years old, Ellie witnessed her mother’s murder. She blocked out the memory of who committed the crime. 18 years later, Ellie goes for a run and finds a body where her mother was killed. The killer starts tormenting Ellie, leaving another body for her to find on her mother’s grave, and sending her a message to let her know that she has been chosen to be his “number one girl.” Ellie needs to try and remember who murdered her mother in order to save herself from the same fate.
Girl Number One starts off strong. I liked Ellie and found the mystery to be intriguing. However, it unravels at a certain point and Ellie started to irk me. She starts having doubts about everyone around her being involved in her mother’s murder, which is understandable but she sleeps with someone minutes after thinking that he is involved in the murders! I feel like this one has potential, but it just gets too out of control in the end. Overall, it was an entertaining and easy read, but there were some elements missing to make it a must read!
Girl Number One starts off strong. I liked Ellie and found the mystery to be intriguing. However, it unravels at a certain point and Ellie started to irk me. She starts having doubts about everyone around her being involved in her mother’s murder, which is understandable but she sleeps with someone minutes after thinking that he is involved in the murders! I feel like this one has potential, but it just gets too out of control in the end. Overall, it was an entertaining and easy read, but there were some elements missing to make it a must read!
December 16, 2015
When Eleanor Blackwood finds the body of a young woman in the woods, in the exact same spot where she witnessed her mother’s murder 18 years ago, it seems that history is repeating itself. However, when the body disappears before the police arrive everyone seems to assume that Eleanor’s mind is playing tricks on her. Are they correct, or is someone deliberately trying to scare her?
On the surface this book ticks all my boxes, a dark psychological thriller which keeps you guessing all the way through but there was something about it that just didn’t quite live up to the mark for me. I think it is mostly to do with Eleanor herself who at times really irritated me. She doesn’t so much face danger head on, but runs to meet it in a way that had me shaking my head asking myself why she doesn’t make sure someone knows where she is going. I found it difficult to get a handle on her in some ways. She is 24 years old, a sensible newly qualified PE teacher and I couldn’t quite match that side of her with the beach party loving surfer chick that emerged at times. Which was the real Eleanor? At times in the book she seems to doubt every male character in turn which made for a twisty read but again, in this respect, she kept showing a tendency to bring the danger to herself. If you think someone might be a murderer then why are you arranging to be on your own with them?
I class a good psychological thriller as one that has me glued to it, has me analysing the characters and finally deciding that, at the end of the day, my own husband could be the guilty party. A good read will have me taking the kindle to the toilet with me and ordering takeaways. This one though, was one that I could very easily put down although I have to say that the basic story line is a good one. Just something lacking there for me.
On the surface this book ticks all my boxes, a dark psychological thriller which keeps you guessing all the way through but there was something about it that just didn’t quite live up to the mark for me. I think it is mostly to do with Eleanor herself who at times really irritated me. She doesn’t so much face danger head on, but runs to meet it in a way that had me shaking my head asking myself why she doesn’t make sure someone knows where she is going. I found it difficult to get a handle on her in some ways. She is 24 years old, a sensible newly qualified PE teacher and I couldn’t quite match that side of her with the beach party loving surfer chick that emerged at times. Which was the real Eleanor? At times in the book she seems to doubt every male character in turn which made for a twisty read but again, in this respect, she kept showing a tendency to bring the danger to herself. If you think someone might be a murderer then why are you arranging to be on your own with them?
I class a good psychological thriller as one that has me glued to it, has me analysing the characters and finally deciding that, at the end of the day, my own husband could be the guilty party. A good read will have me taking the kindle to the toilet with me and ordering takeaways. This one though, was one that I could very easily put down although I have to say that the basic story line is a good one. Just something lacking there for me.
October 9, 2018
I won a copy of Girl Number One from a Goodreads Giveaway.
I did not like it and this is why:
1. The writing is immature or, to put it bluntly, mediocre. I had to speed read the last 50 pages because I just can't. Not anymore. Please, let it end.
2. The main character, Ellie, is an immature caricature who can't be taken seriously.
Yes, yes, I know, she's only twenty four but when the main character invests more time thinking about how sexy Connor, Tris and Denzil is than about, say, the dead body she discovered, I'm outtie. And I thought Bella, Jacob and Edward was the most annoying love triangle I would ever read! I've learned my lesson.
3. Silly behavior meant to drive the action forward such as tampering with evidence, playing a below average version of Nancy Drew by breaking into a friend's home, and tattling on friends at the last minute to the Detective Inspector, who, of course, does not believe her and who trails behind in his investigation.
4. Dumb, shallowly drawn men including the aforementioned love triangle attendees and Ellie's lousy drunk of a father.
5. Plot holes I can drive a Winnebago through. I love that word. Winnebago. You know how you can say a word over and over and it ceases to lose all meaning? Winnebago is one of them.
6. The bad guy? I dunno. It made no sense which explains why when he/she was unmasked I didn't care.
7. But the worst sin of all? Boring. This book was SO boring but that was due to the above.
Read at your own risk.
I did not like it and this is why:
1. The writing is immature or, to put it bluntly, mediocre. I had to speed read the last 50 pages because I just can't. Not anymore. Please, let it end.
2. The main character, Ellie, is an immature caricature who can't be taken seriously.
Yes, yes, I know, she's only twenty four but when the main character invests more time thinking about how sexy Connor, Tris and Denzil is than about, say, the dead body she discovered, I'm outtie. And I thought Bella, Jacob and Edward was the most annoying love triangle I would ever read! I've learned my lesson.
3. Silly behavior meant to drive the action forward such as tampering with evidence, playing a below average version of Nancy Drew by breaking into a friend's home, and tattling on friends at the last minute to the Detective Inspector, who, of course, does not believe her and who trails behind in his investigation.
4. Dumb, shallowly drawn men including the aforementioned love triangle attendees and Ellie's lousy drunk of a father.
5. Plot holes I can drive a Winnebago through. I love that word. Winnebago. You know how you can say a word over and over and it ceases to lose all meaning? Winnebago is one of them.
6. The bad guy? I dunno. It made no sense which explains why when he/she was unmasked I didn't care.
7. But the worst sin of all? Boring. This book was SO boring but that was due to the above.
Read at your own risk.
September 30, 2016
5 Words: Family, relationships, murder, revenge, tragedy.
For a little while, I thought I had this book worked out.
I was wrong.
This book is full of the twists and turns that you'd expect from a mysterious psychological thriller, and it certainly kept me on my toes. I never knew quite where it was going to go next. It was full of surprises and I kept second guessing myself - and rightly so because I didn't guess whodunnit!
Eleanor was a bit of a weird one, and I loved the different sides to her - doesn't everyone have a work/professional self and a private self? I know I certainly do. I did think it was a bit weird how she seemed to run towards danger rather than away from it, but I understood why she did given all of the pressure building up around her.
Tension was high, there was lots of surprises, and I was completely blown away by the ending.
I've read this authors historical works, written under various pen-names, and they've always been fantastic. This transition to contemporary crime/thriller/mess-with-your-head is definitely a success and I look forward to more in future.
For a little while, I thought I had this book worked out.
I was wrong.
This book is full of the twists and turns that you'd expect from a mysterious psychological thriller, and it certainly kept me on my toes. I never knew quite where it was going to go next. It was full of surprises and I kept second guessing myself - and rightly so because I didn't guess whodunnit!
Eleanor was a bit of a weird one, and I loved the different sides to her - doesn't everyone have a work/professional self and a private self? I know I certainly do. I did think it was a bit weird how she seemed to run towards danger rather than away from it, but I understood why she did given all of the pressure building up around her.
Tension was high, there was lots of surprises, and I was completely blown away by the ending.
I've read this authors historical works, written under various pen-names, and they've always been fantastic. This transition to contemporary crime/thriller/mess-with-your-head is definitely a success and I look forward to more in future.
September 29, 2016
Girl Number One started on a good premise, and left me totally uninterested.
When she was six years old, Eleanor saw her mother murdered. She was terribly traumatized, and the murderer never got caught. Eighteen years later, on the anniversary of her mother's death, she finds another dead woman in the exact same spot.
That's cool, right? Interesting? Well, not so much when you couldn't care less about any of the characters. Somehow, the book feels all over the place and I cannot find the reason for many of the things happening in it. The murderer sees Eleanor as some kind of special snowflake and I don't agree with him. And how he gets caught and overpowered is so stupid that I'm amazed he got away with murdering two women and abducting another one in the first place.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a smarter, more charming psychopath.
*Copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2016
Eleanor Blackwood saw her mother being murdered in the woods near their farm when she was just 6. The killer was never found. It's now 18 years later and Eleanor stumbles over a body in the exact same spot her mother was murdered. When the police arrive the body is nowhere to be seen. Has her mothers killer resurfaced after all these years?
I was not quite sure where this story was talking me and when I thought I knew, how wrong was I. My suspicions were always wrong. There's quite a few surprises in this enjoyable thriller.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Thomas & Mercer and the author Jane Holland for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was not quite sure where this story was talking me and when I thought I knew, how wrong was I. My suspicions were always wrong. There's quite a few surprises in this enjoyable thriller.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Thomas & Mercer and the author Jane Holland for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2019
A gripping crime thriller that kept me occupied during a very long car journey from West Cornwall to Yorkshire!
I borrowed this in audiobook format through Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
I borrowed this in audiobook format through Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
October 3, 2016
When Eleanor Blackwood was 6 years old, her mother was brutally strangled in the woods next to their hamlet. Ellie ran like her mother told her to, but she returned and found her mothers body. 18 years later it is the anniversary of her mother's murder. In defiance, she goes for a run in the woods to the spot where it happened so long ago. There, she finds the body of a young woman, also strangled, with the number 3 written in black ink on her forehead. She runs as fast as she can and contacts the police, but when they return the body is gone. They believe she is cracking up, she knows what she saw. Days later, with her on again-off again boyfriend, Tris, they uncover another body in the woods. This one is marked number 2. Now the police believe her, but she doesn't know who to trust, because she is pretty sure she is girl number one.
This was a psychological thriller that had action and suspense right out of the gate. It started off strong and I was completely hooked, until about halfway through the book. The main character, Eleanor, I think is supposed to be an unreliable narrator. But she never was. It was obvious she wasn't crazy, although she was way paranoid. She thought that every man in her life was the killer. Even when there wasn't any reason to think that. The killer is blatantly obvious, and of course the only man she doesn't suspect. The mystery was just way too easy. The author attempted to through in 4 or 5 red herrings, but it was just to obvious.
I rated this 3 stars because I truly liked the beginning and the idea was great. It just seemed to lose steam at the halfway point. Even Eleanor seemed to be strange. One of her best friends disappears, so she goes surfing with her friends? I don't know. Maybe I should've went with a 2...
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
This was a psychological thriller that had action and suspense right out of the gate. It started off strong and I was completely hooked, until about halfway through the book. The main character, Eleanor, I think is supposed to be an unreliable narrator. But she never was. It was obvious she wasn't crazy, although she was way paranoid. She thought that every man in her life was the killer. Even when there wasn't any reason to think that. The killer is blatantly obvious, and of course the only man she doesn't suspect. The mystery was just way too easy. The author attempted to through in 4 or 5 red herrings, but it was just to obvious.
I rated this 3 stars because I truly liked the beginning and the idea was great. It just seemed to lose steam at the halfway point. Even Eleanor seemed to be strange. One of her best friends disappears, so she goes surfing with her friends? I don't know. Maybe I should've went with a 2...
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
May 13, 2024
*Twisted*
**3.5 Stars**
This book starts off with the body of a woman. The person who found the body is Eleanor aka Ellie she runs home and calls the police. When the police investigate there is no body, why?
This discovery causes Eleanor to have flashbacks why? What is going on and her claims cause some to roll their eyes including the Police who don’t seem to take her claims seriously.
Now the dead woman Ellie found had the number 3 written on her forehead. So what is the significance of the numbers. Is the killer counting backwards or are the bodies about to rise? ….
**3.5 Stars**
This book starts off with the body of a woman. The person who found the body is Eleanor aka Ellie she runs home and calls the police. When the police investigate there is no body, why?
This discovery causes Eleanor to have flashbacks why? What is going on and her claims cause some to roll their eyes including the Police who don’t seem to take her claims seriously.
Now the dead woman Ellie found had the number 3 written on her forehead. So what is the significance of the numbers. Is the killer counting backwards or are the bodies about to rise? ….
September 26, 2016
Eleanor Blackwood witnessed her mother’s murder many years ago in the woods near their home. Now many years later Eleanor finds another body of a young woman in the exact same spot but when the police arrive there is no body. Has her mother’s murderer resurfaced or is Eleanor’s mind playing tricks on her? She is given time off from her teaching position so now with time on her hands she attempts to investigate on her own. Is she losing her mind or is there a killer playing tricks on her. Great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
December 24, 2021
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
A good premise but too many frustrations with the protagonist and plot development, left me feeling that this book was rather ‘meh’.
A good premise but too many frustrations with the protagonist and plot development, left me feeling that this book was rather ‘meh’.
September 26, 2016
Eleanor Blackwood was six years old when she witnessed her mother’s murder. Now 24, she has returned to her home town where she has gotten a teaching job. But even after so much time has passed, she is haunted by the memory. At the time of the crime, police questioned her, but she couldn’t provide a description of the killer. Suppressed memories have led her to seek help from a therapist.
Eighteen years to the day that her mother was murdered, Eleanor awakens early and goes for a run in the woods bordering her town. As she approaches a stream, she notices something blocking the path……… the body of a woman is lying there. The number 3 is written on her forehead.
After a second body, bearing the number 2 on her forehead, is discovered, Eleanor realizes that a killer is on the loose, and that the recent events are somehow related to her past. Desperate to remember what happened, Eleanor finds herself in a race against time before she becomes the next victim.
Riveting and suspenseful, with a real sense of place, Girl Number One is a thriller that will pull you in and keep you guessing until the very end!
Thank you to Net Galley, Thomas & Mercer Inc., and author Jane Holland for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this book.
Eighteen years to the day that her mother was murdered, Eleanor awakens early and goes for a run in the woods bordering her town. As she approaches a stream, she notices something blocking the path……… the body of a woman is lying there. The number 3 is written on her forehead.
After a second body, bearing the number 2 on her forehead, is discovered, Eleanor realizes that a killer is on the loose, and that the recent events are somehow related to her past. Desperate to remember what happened, Eleanor finds herself in a race against time before she becomes the next victim.
Riveting and suspenseful, with a real sense of place, Girl Number One is a thriller that will pull you in and keep you guessing until the very end!
Thank you to Net Galley, Thomas & Mercer Inc., and author Jane Holland for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this book.
July 1, 2023
This book started with such promise but ended up being a pretty standard and not-so-mysterious mystery. Other reviewers said they couldn't put it down, and that is accurate, but only because I guessed the identity of the killer within about 50 pages and I had to see if I was right (I was). I honestly ended up skipping quite a few pages, as well. There were a lot of plot holes and many of the things the characters did made absolutely zero sense except as a means of forwarding the plot. The writing was fairly juvenile, too. In one scene, the author made a point of narrating the fact that the main character left her drink unattended. She literally said "I left my drink unattended." Then later in the night, big surprise, she realizes she was drugged. The book was filled with that kind of narration, which is pretty amateurish. I was surprised by it because Jane Holland has written quite a few novels. This book just didn't do it for me.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2026
Well that really was a turn up for the books!
I read this book about a week or so before Christmas after serendipitously stumbling upon the author Jane Holland, on Twitter. I think she was tweeting under the #BookTwt hashtag or something and I just happened to see her exclaiming how happy she was to have gotten the rights back to her earlier works. Not knowing her from Adam, but glad to see an author regaining full control of their intellectual property, I dropped her a drive-by-tweet congratulating her on this, because despite my not knowing her personally, I could tell that it meant a lot to her. She replied back to me and we had a little back-and-forth about the book industry, before she asked me:
"So you're a Manxie?"
This shouldn't be a surprise to me because I have the Manx flag in my bio, as well as some Manx phrases to describe me, along with a few other posts here and there where I talk about life on the rock. But then it turned out that she had grown up on the Isle of Man, before moving over to Cornwall where she lives today. Considering the island only has a population of ~80,000, you'd be surprised how often we Manxies run into one another. It's sort of a local joke, because you're forever hearing about how some guy took himself off to Australia and whilst driving through the outback, happened upon a pub, went in for refreshments, only to discover that the uncle of his best friend from school is behind the bar...or the couple who visited Machu Picchu only to bump into the guy who they often see out feeding the birds on the promenade. It's just an amusing little phenomenon that all locals experience at one point in their lives, so whilst it was a pleasant surprise to find that the person I'd struck up a Twitter convo with had lived 14 miles south of where I live, it wasn't as weird to me as it might sound to those who don't live in very small towns, on wee small rocks in the Irish Sea.
I had a little look on Amazon to see what sort of books she wrote and found that I'd already purchased this particular title a while ago - I just hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. I do that a lot. Especially with my Kindle because it's just too easy to find yourself clicking on the "Buy Now" button, when so many titles are often on offer (with lots being offered as part of the 'Amazon Unlimited' program I'm already subscribed to) and the algorithm always seems to know exactly what will make me want to try out a new author. So, I told her that I had this book and was going to move it to the top of my TBR, with a view to getting around to it shortly.
But then after we'd finished out little Twitter chat, I had that little moment of awareness that I might have just agreed to read (and review) a book that could end up being truly awful, and me being someone who pulls no punches in my book reviews, could potentially end up putting a dent in the author's confidence or take the shine off her recent good news regarding her now owning the rights to her own books. However, looking at the average reviews given for this book - both on Amazon and here on Goodreads - it seemed like a pretty well received story, so a day or so later I got stuck in.
And readers, I really needn't have worried. Because this turned out to be a genuinely unputdownable, rollicking good read, which kept me guessing from start to finish. I don't know if this was one of the authors first forays into writing thrillers, or if she had already worked on discovering her own particular style, but it had just the right combination of creativity and competence. I could tell I was in safe hands from the start.
I don't need to sum up the storyline because you'll find all you need to know about the premise from the blurb, and I'd hate to spoil the enjoyment of someone who has yet to read this title for themselves. It opens with a very intriguing bit of backstory and I was immediately transported to the setting in Cornwall, with its mixture of coastal enclaves, sprawling farmland and unspoilt rural idyls. In fact it sounded a lot like the Isle of Man, with the sometimes claustrophobic closeness of village or smalltown life, where everyone is either related to you or went to school with you. This is what gives 'Girl Number One' an immediately believable sense of disconcerting circumstances. Murdered women are turning up in our protagonist's small hometown, and the potential killer could be any one of a number of individuals living in close proximity to her. Friends, family members, work colleagues, neighbours...the killer could be literally anyone.
The way in which we readers are introduced to an interesting cast of characters fairly early on, is similar to how Agatha Christie would set her murder-mysteries up: every character has a fatal flaw; each person has their own private battles, their own personal problems, and their lives are all inextricably linked - both to the murder victims and our protagonist...who seems to hold the key to what has suddenly descended upon this cosy little area of Cornwall. What had once felt like a safe haven away from the rest of the world, becomes an awkward and confusing place to navigate, with so many people appearing to have their own potential reasons for killing each of the victims.
With no other choice but to keep rubbing up against one another in the small selection of shops, bars, restaurants and the local school, everyone begins to eye one another suspiciously. Lifelong friends with whom our main character has shared so many life experiences, suddenly begin to look guilty. But guilty of what? In a community where people don't even lock their front doors every day and night, what once felt like a safe, secure, bucolic way of life, soon becomes rife with distrust, fear, and a creeping unease borne out of the knowledge that one of their own is a monster who has been harboring some very dark secrets, for a very long time.
I loved how quickly the plot kicked in, with just enough information relayed about our protagonist and the place she calls home, before the bodies start turning up! From the get-go the prose is tight and compelling. I didn't particularly like the main character, but that's neither here nor there. In fact I'll take an annoying person with very real faults over a Mary-Sue any day. Every character was well drawn and believable, with the finger of suspicion pointing at pretty much every single one of them, at some point in this book. I didn't cotton on to who the killer was until shortly before the big reveal which was exactly how I like my crime-fiction and thrillers to pan out. And it's the mark of a good writer to be able to take what in less capable hands would be a somewhat unbelievable plot, and instead pull the reader in close, deftly encouraging our 'suspension of disbelief' and at no point going too far into the realm of jarring ridiculousness, which might otherwise break the spell and pull us out of the story in which we had heretofore become deeply invested.
I'm actually a little sad knowing that 'Girl Number One' is a standalone novel, rather than a single instalment from a series. Because I felt truly immersed in this story from the outset, kept trying to figure out whodunnit, and whilst the denouement was both satisfying and appropriate (with all those red-herrings and threads explained and accounted for) I wanted to read more. Which is really only a good thing, right? Always leave your audience wanting more, and all that. I have however, checked out the author's other works and found a handful of other titles I'd really like to get into...but boy is this writer prolific! She writes in a handful of different genres, under various pseudonyms, with quite a few other thrillers and a couple that appear to be somewhat similar to what I've read from Kate Morton's oeuvre. Which is good news for me, because that's exactly the kind of stuff I really enjoy reading. (She's also written one book set in the Isle of Man: Miranda: A charming, evocative and compelling summer read which of course I'm going to have to read at some point, but I have a few other titles of hers I want to get to first and which I already have downloaded onto one of my Kindles.)
All in all, this book was a tonne of fun. I'm definitely relieved that it didn't wind up being a dud for which I had to leave a negative-but-honest review, and really glad to have somehow, randomly, found myself a new author with whom I vibe, via the wise old gods/goddesses of writing & reading! (Seshat - from Egyptian mythology - is known as the "Female Scribe," because she invented writing, kept records, and was the patron of libraries, making her a prime deity for us readers; but as someone with Viking heritage, I'm just going to offer up thanks to goddess Sága - from the Norse pantheon - who is associated with stories, storytelling, history, and memory. I mean, her name itself literally means "story" or "seeress", so she must definitely play a part in getting good books to appear on my radar. Blessed be!)
Anyway, I think I'll leave it there because I've said as much as I can, without giving away any of the story itself, so I'm now left with the task of giving 'Girl Number One' a rating. Holding it up against the other thrillers and crime fiction titles I've read, this book is up there with some of the most engaging and impressive standalone books that I've enjoyed over the years. So I'm giving it a solid 4-star rating, because it ticked all the boxes I look for in this genre, was immediately immersive, and left me wanting more. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy Kerry Beevis, Sharon Bolton, Lisa Jewell and/or Alice Feeney...especially those not wanting to commit to an entire series, but looking for a well executed standalone read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I read this book about a week or so before Christmas after serendipitously stumbling upon the author Jane Holland, on Twitter. I think she was tweeting under the #BookTwt hashtag or something and I just happened to see her exclaiming how happy she was to have gotten the rights back to her earlier works. Not knowing her from Adam, but glad to see an author regaining full control of their intellectual property, I dropped her a drive-by-tweet congratulating her on this, because despite my not knowing her personally, I could tell that it meant a lot to her. She replied back to me and we had a little back-and-forth about the book industry, before she asked me:
"So you're a Manxie?"
This shouldn't be a surprise to me because I have the Manx flag in my bio, as well as some Manx phrases to describe me, along with a few other posts here and there where I talk about life on the rock. But then it turned out that she had grown up on the Isle of Man, before moving over to Cornwall where she lives today. Considering the island only has a population of ~80,000, you'd be surprised how often we Manxies run into one another. It's sort of a local joke, because you're forever hearing about how some guy took himself off to Australia and whilst driving through the outback, happened upon a pub, went in for refreshments, only to discover that the uncle of his best friend from school is behind the bar...or the couple who visited Machu Picchu only to bump into the guy who they often see out feeding the birds on the promenade. It's just an amusing little phenomenon that all locals experience at one point in their lives, so whilst it was a pleasant surprise to find that the person I'd struck up a Twitter convo with had lived 14 miles south of where I live, it wasn't as weird to me as it might sound to those who don't live in very small towns, on wee small rocks in the Irish Sea.
I had a little look on Amazon to see what sort of books she wrote and found that I'd already purchased this particular title a while ago - I just hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. I do that a lot. Especially with my Kindle because it's just too easy to find yourself clicking on the "Buy Now" button, when so many titles are often on offer (with lots being offered as part of the 'Amazon Unlimited' program I'm already subscribed to) and the algorithm always seems to know exactly what will make me want to try out a new author. So, I told her that I had this book and was going to move it to the top of my TBR, with a view to getting around to it shortly.
But then after we'd finished out little Twitter chat, I had that little moment of awareness that I might have just agreed to read (and review) a book that could end up being truly awful, and me being someone who pulls no punches in my book reviews, could potentially end up putting a dent in the author's confidence or take the shine off her recent good news regarding her now owning the rights to her own books. However, looking at the average reviews given for this book - both on Amazon and here on Goodreads - it seemed like a pretty well received story, so a day or so later I got stuck in.
And readers, I really needn't have worried. Because this turned out to be a genuinely unputdownable, rollicking good read, which kept me guessing from start to finish. I don't know if this was one of the authors first forays into writing thrillers, or if she had already worked on discovering her own particular style, but it had just the right combination of creativity and competence. I could tell I was in safe hands from the start.
I don't need to sum up the storyline because you'll find all you need to know about the premise from the blurb, and I'd hate to spoil the enjoyment of someone who has yet to read this title for themselves. It opens with a very intriguing bit of backstory and I was immediately transported to the setting in Cornwall, with its mixture of coastal enclaves, sprawling farmland and unspoilt rural idyls. In fact it sounded a lot like the Isle of Man, with the sometimes claustrophobic closeness of village or smalltown life, where everyone is either related to you or went to school with you. This is what gives 'Girl Number One' an immediately believable sense of disconcerting circumstances. Murdered women are turning up in our protagonist's small hometown, and the potential killer could be any one of a number of individuals living in close proximity to her. Friends, family members, work colleagues, neighbours...the killer could be literally anyone.
The way in which we readers are introduced to an interesting cast of characters fairly early on, is similar to how Agatha Christie would set her murder-mysteries up: every character has a fatal flaw; each person has their own private battles, their own personal problems, and their lives are all inextricably linked - both to the murder victims and our protagonist...who seems to hold the key to what has suddenly descended upon this cosy little area of Cornwall. What had once felt like a safe haven away from the rest of the world, becomes an awkward and confusing place to navigate, with so many people appearing to have their own potential reasons for killing each of the victims.
With no other choice but to keep rubbing up against one another in the small selection of shops, bars, restaurants and the local school, everyone begins to eye one another suspiciously. Lifelong friends with whom our main character has shared so many life experiences, suddenly begin to look guilty. But guilty of what? In a community where people don't even lock their front doors every day and night, what once felt like a safe, secure, bucolic way of life, soon becomes rife with distrust, fear, and a creeping unease borne out of the knowledge that one of their own is a monster who has been harboring some very dark secrets, for a very long time.
I loved how quickly the plot kicked in, with just enough information relayed about our protagonist and the place she calls home, before the bodies start turning up! From the get-go the prose is tight and compelling. I didn't particularly like the main character, but that's neither here nor there. In fact I'll take an annoying person with very real faults over a Mary-Sue any day. Every character was well drawn and believable, with the finger of suspicion pointing at pretty much every single one of them, at some point in this book. I didn't cotton on to who the killer was until shortly before the big reveal which was exactly how I like my crime-fiction and thrillers to pan out. And it's the mark of a good writer to be able to take what in less capable hands would be a somewhat unbelievable plot, and instead pull the reader in close, deftly encouraging our 'suspension of disbelief' and at no point going too far into the realm of jarring ridiculousness, which might otherwise break the spell and pull us out of the story in which we had heretofore become deeply invested.
I'm actually a little sad knowing that 'Girl Number One' is a standalone novel, rather than a single instalment from a series. Because I felt truly immersed in this story from the outset, kept trying to figure out whodunnit, and whilst the denouement was both satisfying and appropriate (with all those red-herrings and threads explained and accounted for) I wanted to read more. Which is really only a good thing, right? Always leave your audience wanting more, and all that. I have however, checked out the author's other works and found a handful of other titles I'd really like to get into...but boy is this writer prolific! She writes in a handful of different genres, under various pseudonyms, with quite a few other thrillers and a couple that appear to be somewhat similar to what I've read from Kate Morton's oeuvre. Which is good news for me, because that's exactly the kind of stuff I really enjoy reading. (She's also written one book set in the Isle of Man: Miranda: A charming, evocative and compelling summer read which of course I'm going to have to read at some point, but I have a few other titles of hers I want to get to first and which I already have downloaded onto one of my Kindles.)
All in all, this book was a tonne of fun. I'm definitely relieved that it didn't wind up being a dud for which I had to leave a negative-but-honest review, and really glad to have somehow, randomly, found myself a new author with whom I vibe, via the wise old gods/goddesses of writing & reading! (Seshat - from Egyptian mythology - is known as the "Female Scribe," because she invented writing, kept records, and was the patron of libraries, making her a prime deity for us readers; but as someone with Viking heritage, I'm just going to offer up thanks to goddess Sága - from the Norse pantheon - who is associated with stories, storytelling, history, and memory. I mean, her name itself literally means "story" or "seeress", so she must definitely play a part in getting good books to appear on my radar. Blessed be!)
Anyway, I think I'll leave it there because I've said as much as I can, without giving away any of the story itself, so I'm now left with the task of giving 'Girl Number One' a rating. Holding it up against the other thrillers and crime fiction titles I've read, this book is up there with some of the most engaging and impressive standalone books that I've enjoyed over the years. So I'm giving it a solid 4-star rating, because it ticked all the boxes I look for in this genre, was immediately immersive, and left me wanting more. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy Kerry Beevis, Sharon Bolton, Lisa Jewell and/or Alice Feeney...especially those not wanting to commit to an entire series, but looking for a well executed standalone read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
September 23, 2016
Full review on www.novelgossip.com
For once, I really do not have a whole to say. I usually cut myself off in reviews because I do not want to ramble on and on and bore you guys. I’m feeling apathetic about this book though so this will shorter than usual.
Things started out pretty well here. The premise was strong for me and I usually enjoy books where the heroine is unsure of herself and wonders if she’s cracking up. Eleanor finds a dead woman in the same woods where her mother was killed years earlier. By the time the police arrive, there is no body. Then, she gets the sensation that she is being watched, often. Is she losing her mind? Has she already gone mad and hasn’t even realized it herself?
Ellie was a pretty boring character despite all the drama in her life. She came off as very cold and detached. She shows no emotion whatsoever when she finds a dead women in the same place her own mother died! That’s when I knew I wasn’t going to be able to connect with her much. Later, she thinks it’s a good idea to sleep with a man who is one of her own main suspects as the killer. She totally lost me then, I just can’t. Her character was also under developed, as were all the characters in this book.
I guessed very early on who the killer was which is always a huge let down. I swear I only end up finishing the book so I can know that I was right and feel justified in my rightness. When the big climactic scene finally comes, (parts of this were very slow, especially for a so called thriller) there was just no excitement. Maybe it’s because I couldn’t muster any up, I’m not sure. The motivation for the string of murders was weak too and I was holding onto my last hope, thinking maybe that would provide something unique.
For once, I really do not have a whole to say. I usually cut myself off in reviews because I do not want to ramble on and on and bore you guys. I’m feeling apathetic about this book though so this will shorter than usual.
Things started out pretty well here. The premise was strong for me and I usually enjoy books where the heroine is unsure of herself and wonders if she’s cracking up. Eleanor finds a dead woman in the same woods where her mother was killed years earlier. By the time the police arrive, there is no body. Then, she gets the sensation that she is being watched, often. Is she losing her mind? Has she already gone mad and hasn’t even realized it herself?
Ellie was a pretty boring character despite all the drama in her life. She came off as very cold and detached. She shows no emotion whatsoever when she finds a dead women in the same place her own mother died! That’s when I knew I wasn’t going to be able to connect with her much. Later, she thinks it’s a good idea to sleep with a man who is one of her own main suspects as the killer. She totally lost me then, I just can’t. Her character was also under developed, as were all the characters in this book.
I guessed very early on who the killer was which is always a huge let down. I swear I only end up finishing the book so I can know that I was right and feel justified in my rightness. When the big climactic scene finally comes, (parts of this were very slow, especially for a so called thriller) there was just no excitement. Maybe it’s because I couldn’t muster any up, I’m not sure. The motivation for the string of murders was weak too and I was holding onto my last hope, thinking maybe that would provide something unique.
September 16, 2016
I received Girl Number One by Jane Holland in a giveaway. Review is unbiased.
This is the first book I have read by Jane Holland. I am pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The plot was interesting with the main character, Ellie, finding a dead body where her Mom was murdered years ago. When the police get there, the body is now gone. Where did it go? Is someone trying to make her crazy? Did she imagine it? Based on her troubled past and also that is the anniversary of her Mom's death, everyone seems to think that she is mistaken. Now she is on a journey to prove everyone wrong and also find her Mom's killer. I figured out the plot quite early in the book, but I still found the journey entertaining. The descriptions of the locale and the surfing community were a bit too descriptive for me and did not add too much to the story. Don't let this keep you away though as I usually do not tend to like descriptive parts. I will be looking to read other books by this author. 4 stars
This is the first book I have read by Jane Holland. I am pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The plot was interesting with the main character, Ellie, finding a dead body where her Mom was murdered years ago. When the police get there, the body is now gone. Where did it go? Is someone trying to make her crazy? Did she imagine it? Based on her troubled past and also that is the anniversary of her Mom's death, everyone seems to think that she is mistaken. Now she is on a journey to prove everyone wrong and also find her Mom's killer. I figured out the plot quite early in the book, but I still found the journey entertaining. The descriptions of the locale and the surfing community were a bit too descriptive for me and did not add too much to the story. Don't let this keep you away though as I usually do not tend to like descriptive parts. I will be looking to read other books by this author. 4 stars
October 6, 2015
I loved Girl Number One. It had me hooked from page one, and I raced through the story to find out what happened next.
Stumbling across a body on the anniversary of her mother’s death was bad enough, but when the body disappeared before the police could find it, Eleanor’s sanity was called into question. Those close to her watch with sympathy, and the pupils she teaches at the local school hound her until she is given compulsory time out. This leaves her with nothing to do but investigate the murder herself.
I loved the romantic tension, which upped the intensity even further. It was ambiguous enough that I really wasn’t sure how things would end up, and the plot also kept me guessing right up until the end. There were false starts, suspicions that led nowhere and resentments that took a lot of untangling. Add to that surprises in the final showdown and you have a compulsive, page turning read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys thrillers.
Stumbling across a body on the anniversary of her mother’s death was bad enough, but when the body disappeared before the police could find it, Eleanor’s sanity was called into question. Those close to her watch with sympathy, and the pupils she teaches at the local school hound her until she is given compulsory time out. This leaves her with nothing to do but investigate the murder herself.
I loved the romantic tension, which upped the intensity even further. It was ambiguous enough that I really wasn’t sure how things would end up, and the plot also kept me guessing right up until the end. There were false starts, suspicions that led nowhere and resentments that took a lot of untangling. Add to that surprises in the final showdown and you have a compulsive, page turning read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys thrillers.
December 27, 2015
I'm giving this book 2.5 stars - it was somewhere between 'it was OK' and 'I liked it'. Thing is, it WAS just OK, nothing special or earth-shattering. Nothing jaw-dropping or original or sensational. It was somewhat generic.
There are a lot of novels at the moment with 'girl' in the title. Girl Number One, Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, The Girl with no Past, Lost Girls etc. Girl Number One is the only one I've read of these, but I imagine they all aspire to grabbing the readers of Gone Girl and marketing their books to attract those readers. Immediately, that's a turn-off for me. I appreciate originality. The present-tense writing irritated me a bit; it's written in first person too, not my favourite.
A girl's mother is murdered and the daughter was there at the time, witnessing events. The killer is never caught. That's the prologue. Skip forward a good few years and she's an adult who's been in therapy, trying to coax memories to the surface. But she's functioning and has a job. But suddenly, the killing starts again and it appears that the killer is leaving clues especially for her. Things transpire as you'd expect. It's a suspense novel, a who-dunnit, so we know we're not going to find out who it is until the end, and we know that the author is going to be chucking red herrings at us all the way and making every single character a possible suspect, which gets a bit tiresome.
Like I said, it was OK. Well written enough, but I wasn't completely convinced by the dialogue in parts. The concept as a whole didn't excite me. The character development - as is normal for this genre - was minimal and so I didn't particularly care what happened to be honest. I finished the book yesterday and thought I'd better write a review before I forget everything about it, because definitely I will!
There are a lot of novels at the moment with 'girl' in the title. Girl Number One, Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, The Girl with no Past, Lost Girls etc. Girl Number One is the only one I've read of these, but I imagine they all aspire to grabbing the readers of Gone Girl and marketing their books to attract those readers. Immediately, that's a turn-off for me. I appreciate originality. The present-tense writing irritated me a bit; it's written in first person too, not my favourite.
A girl's mother is murdered and the daughter was there at the time, witnessing events. The killer is never caught. That's the prologue. Skip forward a good few years and she's an adult who's been in therapy, trying to coax memories to the surface. But she's functioning and has a job. But suddenly, the killing starts again and it appears that the killer is leaving clues especially for her. Things transpire as you'd expect. It's a suspense novel, a who-dunnit, so we know we're not going to find out who it is until the end, and we know that the author is going to be chucking red herrings at us all the way and making every single character a possible suspect, which gets a bit tiresome.
Like I said, it was OK. Well written enough, but I wasn't completely convinced by the dialogue in parts. The concept as a whole didn't excite me. The character development - as is normal for this genre - was minimal and so I didn't particularly care what happened to be honest. I finished the book yesterday and thought I'd better write a review before I forget everything about it, because definitely I will!
October 14, 2017
Oh dear. Where do I start? Not particularly well written being one of those irritating books where the main character (Eleanor Blackwood who sounds more like she should be in a Jane Austen novel. Pity I didn't read one of those instead!) asks her self pointless questions, repeats things, sees things on the edge of her memory and so on. I think I can express my feelings about the book best via Eleanor herself. "I am feeling quite emotional " she says to her father at the end of the book. No excrement Sherlock. Her best friend has been murdered whilst surfing shortly after the killer tried to kill Eleanor also at sea, she's discovered two dead bodies the first of which was on the anniversary of the murder of her own mother which she witnessed as a young girl, initially no one believed her about the current killings because the killer moved the body, her friend and colleague Jenny had disappeared.... need I go on?????? Well, I will just finish the melodrama off by saying Ellie finds Jenny, discovers who the murderer is and hey presto solves her mothers murder into the bargain. So feeling a tad emotional??? Must be the understatement of the millennium.
December 16, 2016
This is the first thriller I have read from Jane Holland and I was impressed. There were loads of potential suspects to the crime, and the whole book kept me guessing from cover to cover. I found Girl Number One to be a gripping story, with an unreliable narrator that I couldn't help but feel for, especially as at time it seemed as though no one was willing to believe what in what Eleanore was saying.
January 27, 2019
i'm an absolute sucker for a book in the thriller genre that has a tag line that follows "ominous statement. second ominous statement" rule - "her father was a doctor. but he couldn't save them all.", "their best friend goes missing. the darkness hides the answers." even more so when it's "perfectly ordinary statement. ominous question?" - "the sky is blue. or is it?", "your family is going on holiday. are you sure you turned the oven off?" you see these books advertised loads on the tube now, with a dark cover, large font, monotone or single colour image. i've said it once, and i'll say it again: gone girl has a lot to answer for. girl number one, i didn't like it. at one point, i suspected every one of being the killer because they all have motives, borne of an unreliable narrator - a low-hanging plot device. the dramatic reveal of the actual killer was flaccid, where the killer just lists out to the protagonist exactly why and how they've killed so many people with a pantomime-like glee, "well done, you've worked out my clever plans, let me tell you at length every twist and turn of my devilishly brilliant mind" - very similar to the girl on the train's villain. the next trend in the thriller genre can't come quickly enough.
July 16, 2019
3.5 I was prepared to not like this one... half way through I didn't like the main character, she seemed very immature and the conversations/interactions were unintentionally juvenile. The ending pulled it out though, I kept thinking I had it figured but there were some good twists.
October 12, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ellie was only 6 years old when she saw her mother get murdered. The crime has haunted her until this day but because of traumatic strew Ellie could never work out who the shadow man in the white trainers who killed her mum was.
18 years later on the anniversary of her mums murder Ellie goes for a run and stumbles across the body of a naked women who had been murdered with a number 3 on her head. Ellie runs from the scene into the house of a work college where she is sick before going home and telling the police what had happened. Unfortunately the police do not believe Ellie as when they go to look for the body it is not there. They put it down to the stress of the memory and anniversary of her mothers murder. Telling her to get some more counciling
Ellie cannot leave this alone thou. Convinced she isn't going crazy and knowing what she saw she starts an investigation of her own with her friends trying to uncover the truth.
Another body is found this time with a number 2 on it. Who is murdering these women? Who killed Ellie's mum all those years ago? What is the countdown too? And who is girl number one going to be?
There were a few good twist and turns in this book that made me want to keep reading. But I was a little disturbed with how crazily quite And calmly Ellie took finding these women. If I was Ellie and I had been through what she had in the past. I think I might have been a tad more freaked out by the events in this book.
I think the book starts to unravel too fast for my liking about halfway through the book I was like ok so that's who killed those women and Ellie's mum and I wasn't intrigued enough by this book for it to grip me enough to want to know why.
Why does Ellie sleep with Tris the exact moment after she thinks he could be the killer? I think this book has massive potential but it felt a little too out of control for me and a little bit hard to connect with. It was an easy read thou and I did read it to the end which is a plus. All in all 3.5 stars
Ellie was only 6 years old when she saw her mother get murdered. The crime has haunted her until this day but because of traumatic strew Ellie could never work out who the shadow man in the white trainers who killed her mum was.
18 years later on the anniversary of her mums murder Ellie goes for a run and stumbles across the body of a naked women who had been murdered with a number 3 on her head. Ellie runs from the scene into the house of a work college where she is sick before going home and telling the police what had happened. Unfortunately the police do not believe Ellie as when they go to look for the body it is not there. They put it down to the stress of the memory and anniversary of her mothers murder. Telling her to get some more counciling
Ellie cannot leave this alone thou. Convinced she isn't going crazy and knowing what she saw she starts an investigation of her own with her friends trying to uncover the truth.
Another body is found this time with a number 2 on it. Who is murdering these women? Who killed Ellie's mum all those years ago? What is the countdown too? And who is girl number one going to be?
There were a few good twist and turns in this book that made me want to keep reading. But I was a little disturbed with how crazily quite And calmly Ellie took finding these women. If I was Ellie and I had been through what she had in the past. I think I might have been a tad more freaked out by the events in this book.
I think the book starts to unravel too fast for my liking about halfway through the book I was like ok so that's who killed those women and Ellie's mum and I wasn't intrigued enough by this book for it to grip me enough to want to know why.
Why does Ellie sleep with Tris the exact moment after she thinks he could be the killer? I think this book has massive potential but it felt a little too out of control for me and a little bit hard to connect with. It was an easy read thou and I did read it to the end which is a plus. All in all 3.5 stars
November 21, 2016
2.5 Stars
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Eleanor witnessed her mother's murder as a little girl. Now, she finds a body in exactly the same spot. Only, the police can later not find it.
I find it slightly ironic that while I read this book I was very annoyed by the main character, while one of the main points of the stories is that the police and everyone think she is not completely in her right mind. Eleanor made such strange decisions and was complaining a lot, which really decreased my appreciation of the story. The story on the other hand was never that much of a surprise for me. There are a lot of twists in the story, as Eleanor considers every male characters as the potential murderer. Only, anyone who's ever read the same kind of book before, it will be no surprise whether or not the body Eleanor found is real...
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Eleanor witnessed her mother's murder as a little girl. Now, she finds a body in exactly the same spot. Only, the police can later not find it.
I find it slightly ironic that while I read this book I was very annoyed by the main character, while one of the main points of the stories is that the police and everyone think she is not completely in her right mind. Eleanor made such strange decisions and was complaining a lot, which really decreased my appreciation of the story. The story on the other hand was never that much of a surprise for me. There are a lot of twists in the story, as Eleanor considers every male characters as the potential murderer. Only, anyone who's ever read the same kind of book before, it will be no surprise whether or not the body Eleanor found is real...
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 26, 2016
I am getting more and more into thrillers of late, and downloaded this from Netgalley as the premise sounded interesting. Alas and lackaday. I found it cliched from the very beginning. It had the usual girl-with-traumatic-past-goes-running-excessively-in-order-to-try-to-put-said-traumatic-past-behind-her. It doesn't work, obviously. The 'thrilling' part of the book ensues once excessive running and whiny narrative voice has been established (which takes far longer than it should, let's be honest), which is predictable enough to not be thrilling at all. Not that well written, and honestly, if you've read Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood, you probably don't ever need to pick this up. It seems to follow the same style, just without the wedding party in the woods thing, and is a lot less enjoyable to boot.
September 30, 2015
This brilliant thriller had me hooked from start to finish. I found myself racing through it, desperate to know the outcome. The author's effortless writing style gave the story depth, from the atmospheric descriptions of the Cornish landscape to convincing, well-rounded characters I cared about - particularly the lead, Ellie, whose mother was tragically murdered when she was six. The story was quite spooky in parts and actually gave me goosebumps, which doesn't happen often, and there were plenty of twists and turns to mislead the reader.
An accomplished, gripping and satisfying read. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
An accomplished, gripping and satisfying read. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
September 24, 2015
I loved this. The story twists and turns like the path through the woods where Eleanor saw her mother murdered. Now all grown up, she returns to the woods on the anniversary of her mother's death and stumbles across another body. But when the police come to investigate, they find nothing. Girl Number One explores the darker side of human life and the power of obsession, through a realistic portrayal of life in a Cornish village, complete with a scary vicar, gorgeous surfer dudes, and a kickass heroine. Irresistible.
September 10, 2016
I didn't find anything 'wow' here to force myself to finish it. I was bored at the very beginning with the endless description of the path the MC was walking leading her to find the first body.
Can somebody tell me who killed her mother and now, YEARS! after wanted to kill her too? I mean, wouldn't have been easier to kill her while she was younger? But I'm digressing.
So, who was it? An uncle, a cousin, a neighbor?
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this title.
Can somebody tell me who killed her mother and now, YEARS! after wanted to kill her too? I mean, wouldn't have been easier to kill her while she was younger? But I'm digressing.
So, who was it? An uncle, a cousin, a neighbor?
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this title.
February 16, 2016
I liked it despite a somewhat predictable twist of events. The book kept me hooked up. It was also quite an easy book to read. I also liked the basic descriptions of personalities without going too far into analysis.
January 25, 2017
A well-written psychological thriller that kept me guessing up to the end. The opening chapters were so chilling I had to stop reading it while on my own in the house. A good addition to the genre.
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