What do you think?
Rate this book
Następna dziewczyna
Sobotnia noc. Policja przyprowadza do domu siedemnastoletnią dziewczynę. Sophie powtarza coś niezrozumiałego... Rano okazuje się, że jej przyjaciółka nie wróciła do domu. A potem policja znajduje ciało dziewczyny… Sophie nic nie pamięta. Policjantka prowadząca śledztwo podejrzewa, że była świadkiem morderstwa. Sophie rozpaczliwie usiłuje przypomnieć sobie, co się stało. Dręczą ją przebłyski przerażających scen. Ktoś przysyła jej niepokojące maile. Kto ją śledzi. Karen czuje, że córka nie mówi wszystkiego. Że jest w niebezpieczeństwie. Ale sama aż zbyt dobrze wie, co to znaczy się bać… Za wszelką cenę musi zmierzyć się z własnym strachem, by powstrzymać mordercę dziewczyny, kimkolwiek by był. Bo wie, że jego celem jest teraz Sophie.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2016
666 people are currently reading
2679 people want to read
About the author
Sam Carrington
11 books479 followersSam Carrington lives in Devon with her husband, two border terriers and a cat. She has three adult children and a new grandson! She worked for the NHS for fifteen years, during which time she qualified as a nurse. Following the completion of a psychology degree she went to work for the prison service as an Offending Behaviour Programme Facilitator. Her experiences within this field inspired her writing. She left the service to spend time with her family and to follow her dream of being a novelist. SAVING SOPHIE, her debut psychological thriller, published in September 2016. It became a Kindle eBook bestseller, with the paperback hitting The Bookseller Heatseeker chart at #8. Sam was named an Amazon Rising Star of 2016.
Her 6th book - The Open House - publishes in December 2020.
Her 6th book - The Open House - publishes in December 2020.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 463 reviews
August 24, 2016
2.5 stars
When I read the book blurb for this book I thought it sounded pretty good. I was really looking forward to reading it. It already has quite a few high ratings as well.
But honestly I had a tough time with this one. I found myself aggravated quite often and wanted to quit reading a few times. However, I became obsessed with finishing it because I had to know what happened, so that counts for something.
Karen is in shock when her seventeen-year-old daughter, Sophie is brought home by police after a night out with friends. Sophie's practically incoherent muttering very odd things about her friend Amy. Sophie's mother and father are livid but Sophie is no help to anyone in the condition she's in and they will have to wait until morning to question her more.
Karen is angry as she thinks that Sophie's friends just abandoned her as that had happened before. She's also very worried because Sophie can't remember anything. She was brought home quite early in the evening and she was completely out of it, almost like she'd been drugged.
The next morning Sophie has no memory of what happened the night before. She can't remember anything at all. Her parents, especially her mother are upset as they don't understand why Sophie has NO memory of the night before. On top of this they find out that Sophie's friend Amy hasn't gone home yet. Twelve hours later, Amy has still not returned home.
***Possibly some very minor spoilers ****
The beginning of the book was really good but after awhile I started having a hard time with it. I found it difficult to warm up to Karen and Sophie, and I really took a dislike to Karen's husband Mike. He was sarcastic and really mean one moment, then overly loving and understanding the next. I know that people can have mood swings but his were off the charts at times.
The way Sophie spoke to her mother was appalling. I know sometimes teenagers talk this way but her best friend is missing, horrible things are happening and half the time she's making flippant remarks and not wanting to help figure out what happened to her. I wanted to grab her cell phone right out of her hand.
Karen: I find it very odd that they said they put you in a taxi but it never brought you home. Either they are lying or something happened in the taxi. I want to know which it is.
Sophie: Why would they lie? Honestly, mum, you're so annoying!
The story was told from multiple points of view. Mostly Karen and Sophie's but also the Detective assigned to the case.
We learn early in the book that Karen suffers from agoraphobia, she was attacked two years earlier. She leaves the house only to attend counseling. Her family has become very frustrated with her and there were a few times that they would often out right mock her even when she was in the middle of a panic attack. Even worse her husband and daughter are arguing as Karen is having problems breathing and needs her bag.
Karen: I...need, (shallow breaths)...my bag
Mike: Right, of course you do. Get her stupid bag, Sophie.
Sophie: You get it!
Mike: I asked you to get it
Finally, Mike stomps off after more arguing, takes his time returning with the bag and gives it to Karen. Telling Sophie to Grow up.
I had highlighted this conversation on my Kindle and went to type in my notes and all I could come up with was WHAT?
There were some really interesting parts to this book. However, I just had trouble following what was happening and some of the parts were a bit too unbelievable. No one wanting to call the police, instead trying to figure out everything using Facebook? The police sort of running in circles a little bit. It just didn't all come together for me.
Considering that Karen suffered from agoraphobia I found it odd that she wasn't more concerned about getting her daughter back into the "safe zone". Especially since there was a killer out there!
So in the end while I enjoyed parts of the book, I just had a few too many issues with it. But don't take my word for it. There are quite a few positive reviews and so you never know. I've recently LOVED some books that others have really disliked. So who knows? As we always say we can't all love the same books
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
When I read the book blurb for this book I thought it sounded pretty good. I was really looking forward to reading it. It already has quite a few high ratings as well.
But honestly I had a tough time with this one. I found myself aggravated quite often and wanted to quit reading a few times. However, I became obsessed with finishing it because I had to know what happened, so that counts for something.
Karen is in shock when her seventeen-year-old daughter, Sophie is brought home by police after a night out with friends. Sophie's practically incoherent muttering very odd things about her friend Amy. Sophie's mother and father are livid but Sophie is no help to anyone in the condition she's in and they will have to wait until morning to question her more.
Karen is angry as she thinks that Sophie's friends just abandoned her as that had happened before. She's also very worried because Sophie can't remember anything. She was brought home quite early in the evening and she was completely out of it, almost like she'd been drugged.
The next morning Sophie has no memory of what happened the night before. She can't remember anything at all. Her parents, especially her mother are upset as they don't understand why Sophie has NO memory of the night before. On top of this they find out that Sophie's friend Amy hasn't gone home yet. Twelve hours later, Amy has still not returned home.
***Possibly some very minor spoilers ****
The beginning of the book was really good but after awhile I started having a hard time with it. I found it difficult to warm up to Karen and Sophie, and I really took a dislike to Karen's husband Mike. He was sarcastic and really mean one moment, then overly loving and understanding the next. I know that people can have mood swings but his were off the charts at times.
The way Sophie spoke to her mother was appalling. I know sometimes teenagers talk this way but her best friend is missing, horrible things are happening and half the time she's making flippant remarks and not wanting to help figure out what happened to her. I wanted to grab her cell phone right out of her hand.
Karen: I find it very odd that they said they put you in a taxi but it never brought you home. Either they are lying or something happened in the taxi. I want to know which it is.
Sophie: Why would they lie? Honestly, mum, you're so annoying!
The story was told from multiple points of view. Mostly Karen and Sophie's but also the Detective assigned to the case.
We learn early in the book that Karen suffers from agoraphobia, she was attacked two years earlier. She leaves the house only to attend counseling. Her family has become very frustrated with her and there were a few times that they would often out right mock her even when she was in the middle of a panic attack. Even worse her husband and daughter are arguing as Karen is having problems breathing and needs her bag.
Karen: I...need, (shallow breaths)...my bag
Mike: Right, of course you do. Get her stupid bag, Sophie.
Sophie: You get it!
Mike: I asked you to get it
Finally, Mike stomps off after more arguing, takes his time returning with the bag and gives it to Karen. Telling Sophie to Grow up.
I had highlighted this conversation on my Kindle and went to type in my notes and all I could come up with was WHAT?
There were some really interesting parts to this book. However, I just had trouble following what was happening and some of the parts were a bit too unbelievable. No one wanting to call the police, instead trying to figure out everything using Facebook? The police sort of running in circles a little bit. It just didn't all come together for me.
Considering that Karen suffered from agoraphobia I found it odd that she wasn't more concerned about getting her daughter back into the "safe zone". Especially since there was a killer out there!
So in the end while I enjoyed parts of the book, I just had a few too many issues with it. But don't take my word for it. There are quite a few positive reviews and so you never know. I've recently LOVED some books that others have really disliked. So who knows? As we always say we can't all love the same books
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 11, 2016
A perfect example of a true psychological thriller!
Two police officers deliver your teenage daughter home one night. She is completely incoherent and was found wandering along a road. This happens to Karen, who is an agoraphobic who hasn't been able to leave her house unaided for the past two years. The following morning Karen's daughter, Sophie, is still no clearer about what exactly happened the previous night, but her friend, Amy, is missing and the police start investigating.
The perspectives are mainly those of Karen and Sophie, but there are also minor chapters from the perspective of DI Lindsay Wade and her colleague DS Mack as well as emails written by somebody whose identity isn't clear.
Both, Karen and Sophie, are very well characterized and although I found myself shouting at them several times, their actions and decisions remained credible considering their backgrounds and circumstances. The family dynamics between mother, daughter and the father, Mike, who remained in the background a lot of the time, were done in a very believable manner.
Because of Karen's frequent panic attacks, there was a lot about breathing in this book, and quite cleverly, it affected my own heart rate several times. I finished this a little while ago and still feel I need to go for a dog walk to calm down. This really was intense, right from the explosive prologue to the utterly brilliant epilogue. I was glued to the pages for the last 30%.
Initially, I was wondering why there was so much focus on Karen. But as the story progresses, Sam Carrington's meticulous plotting reveals secrets and surprises that uncover a very twisted tale and the different strands come together perfectly. There was nothing predictable about this story. Great how social media, the Internet, and our online lives were integrated into the plot. I also loved the setting in Devon with Dartmoor providing a creepy atmosphere.
This is a debut novel from a writer who is clearly hugely talented. I was very pleased to see Sam Carrington is already working on her next book featuring DI Wade and DS Mack.
Highly recommended if you like nail-biting psychological thrillers! Just make sure you have time set aside because you may want to finish this in one sitting.
Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for my ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Two police officers deliver your teenage daughter home one night. She is completely incoherent and was found wandering along a road. This happens to Karen, who is an agoraphobic who hasn't been able to leave her house unaided for the past two years. The following morning Karen's daughter, Sophie, is still no clearer about what exactly happened the previous night, but her friend, Amy, is missing and the police start investigating.
The perspectives are mainly those of Karen and Sophie, but there are also minor chapters from the perspective of DI Lindsay Wade and her colleague DS Mack as well as emails written by somebody whose identity isn't clear.
Both, Karen and Sophie, are very well characterized and although I found myself shouting at them several times, their actions and decisions remained credible considering their backgrounds and circumstances. The family dynamics between mother, daughter and the father, Mike, who remained in the background a lot of the time, were done in a very believable manner.
Because of Karen's frequent panic attacks, there was a lot about breathing in this book, and quite cleverly, it affected my own heart rate several times. I finished this a little while ago and still feel I need to go for a dog walk to calm down. This really was intense, right from the explosive prologue to the utterly brilliant epilogue. I was glued to the pages for the last 30%.
Initially, I was wondering why there was so much focus on Karen. But as the story progresses, Sam Carrington's meticulous plotting reveals secrets and surprises that uncover a very twisted tale and the different strands come together perfectly. There was nothing predictable about this story. Great how social media, the Internet, and our online lives were integrated into the plot. I also loved the setting in Devon with Dartmoor providing a creepy atmosphere.
This is a debut novel from a writer who is clearly hugely talented. I was very pleased to see Sam Carrington is already working on her next book featuring DI Wade and DS Mack.
Highly recommended if you like nail-biting psychological thrillers! Just make sure you have time set aside because you may want to finish this in one sitting.
Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for my ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2016
It's taken me three days to read this book which is unusual for me. Something like this I would have read within a day or two.
I've fluctuated between loving it, hating it and having gasps of ' really?'
Just some things I found hard to swallow with ease.
I liked it.
I will remember it.
I would recommend to some, not to others on my reading list.
I could see this as a book buddy read as lots of things to discuss from within the pages.
I liked the plot, enjoyed the twist.
Sophie's been out with friends.
She's been brought home in a Police car totally incoherent
Sophie's mum things it may not just be drink but she's been drugged too.
Her Fathers quite exasperated by Sophie.
Something isn't right.
Then next we learn that one of her closest friends, Amy is missing.
When Sophie wakes the next day she remembers nothing.
Of course the plot thickens, and it thickens well.
It's a book that needs sticking with and sometimes reading between the lines.
The Mum with acrophobia is torn between her disabling illness and needing to be pract I felt her mental anguish and emotional fight.
Her husband got very exasperated with her too. He didn't seem to be the most understanding of partners at times and I wondered why. I found out at the end.
Saving Sophie was of course about Sophie, but I think it also saved her parents.
My most annoying problem itching at me was the way Sophie handled things, or, didn't handle things.
One minute scared so needing her Father to meet her after work, then another time seemingly to take chances. Or it maybe just me.
Because I did enjoy it, I'm happy to give it 4 stars because it evoked many thoughts and feelings in me.
My thanks to Harper Collins UK for my copy via Net Galley
I've fluctuated between loving it, hating it and having gasps of ' really?'
Just some things I found hard to swallow with ease.
I liked it.
I will remember it.
I would recommend to some, not to others on my reading list.
I could see this as a book buddy read as lots of things to discuss from within the pages.
I liked the plot, enjoyed the twist.
Sophie's been out with friends.
She's been brought home in a Police car totally incoherent
Sophie's mum things it may not just be drink but she's been drugged too.
Her Fathers quite exasperated by Sophie.
Something isn't right.
Then next we learn that one of her closest friends, Amy is missing.
When Sophie wakes the next day she remembers nothing.
Of course the plot thickens, and it thickens well.
It's a book that needs sticking with and sometimes reading between the lines.
The Mum with acrophobia is torn between her disabling illness and needing to be pract I felt her mental anguish and emotional fight.
Her husband got very exasperated with her too. He didn't seem to be the most understanding of partners at times and I wondered why. I found out at the end.
Saving Sophie was of course about Sophie, but I think it also saved her parents.
My most annoying problem itching at me was the way Sophie handled things, or, didn't handle things.
One minute scared so needing her Father to meet her after work, then another time seemingly to take chances. Or it maybe just me.
Because I did enjoy it, I'm happy to give it 4 stars because it evoked many thoughts and feelings in me.
My thanks to Harper Collins UK for my copy via Net Galley
August 20, 2016
The description and the cover made me eager to participate in this blog tour. If it is one genre I love is a psychological thriller, especially one where everyone acts suspiciously. And, Saving Sophie definitely has many suspicious characters and a story that just keeps getting darker as the story progress. The Finch's family is still reeling from a traumatic event from two years prior which left Sophie's mother Karen unable to leave the house without having a panic attack. And, how can she help her daughter when she can't even leave the house? Sophie herself is trying to figure out what really happened the night she can't remember, could it be that she is in danger or is she in any way involved with the death of another young girl?
I love books with short intensive chapters that make you just read one more chapter, and then one more and suddenly you have finished half the book. Saving Sophie is a very good, engrossing thriller and I love the feeling of not knowing what's going on and I did suspect pretty much everyone in this book, well except Karen, despite the feeling that she may have some secrets herself.
I liked the different POV throughout the book. For instance, besides Karen and Sophie, we also got to follow the cops that are working on the dead girl's case. They do, however, not have a very central role in this book. It's really Karen and Sophie's story. I felt some frustration with Sophie, that she kept so much to herself. But, she is just seventeen so keeping things from her parents are not really that surprising. And, I got a feeling that they have a problem communicating with each other in the Finch family.
The ending surprised me, it was way darker than I was expecting. It's perhaps bad to like depressing and dark endings, but I like books that dare to take a step of the road and show that not everything will end well.
I want to thank HarperCollins Avon for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review
I love books with short intensive chapters that make you just read one more chapter, and then one more and suddenly you have finished half the book. Saving Sophie is a very good, engrossing thriller and I love the feeling of not knowing what's going on and I did suspect pretty much everyone in this book, well except Karen, despite the feeling that she may have some secrets herself.
I liked the different POV throughout the book. For instance, besides Karen and Sophie, we also got to follow the cops that are working on the dead girl's case. They do, however, not have a very central role in this book. It's really Karen and Sophie's story. I felt some frustration with Sophie, that she kept so much to herself. But, she is just seventeen so keeping things from her parents are not really that surprising. And, I got a feeling that they have a problem communicating with each other in the Finch family.
The ending surprised me, it was way darker than I was expecting. It's perhaps bad to like depressing and dark endings, but I like books that dare to take a step of the road and show that not everything will end well.
I want to thank HarperCollins Avon for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review
September 30, 2016
When Karen Finch’s seventeen-year-old daughter Sophie arrives home after a night out, drunk and accompanied by police officers, no one is smiling the morning after. But Sophie remembers nothing about how she got into such a state.
Twelve hours later, Sophie’s friend Amy has still not returned home. Then the body of a young woman is found.
Karen is sure that Sophie knows more than she is letting on. But Karen has her own demons to fight. She struggles to go beyond her own door without a panic attack.
As she becomes convinced that Sophie is not only involved but also in danger, Karen must confront her own anxieties to stop whoever killed one young girl moving on to another – Sophie.
Stunning! Just stunning. This book is an exceptional psychological thriller - one of the best I've read this year - and I have read a few!
Intensely captivating, superb writing, and very hard to put down. It's a serious page-turner at it's highest. The clever plot moves at a steady pace but never once does it avert your attention. It kept me wanting to find out more and more.
As all the pieces come together, it reveals a very sinister and unnerving twist, which I have to admit, I never saw it coming. Very clever build up and suspense. With short chapters and each one revealing a little more, it delivers a highly intense and enjoyable read.
A clear 5* for Saving Sophie, and I highly recommend you give it a read!
Twelve hours later, Sophie’s friend Amy has still not returned home. Then the body of a young woman is found.
Karen is sure that Sophie knows more than she is letting on. But Karen has her own demons to fight. She struggles to go beyond her own door without a panic attack.
As she becomes convinced that Sophie is not only involved but also in danger, Karen must confront her own anxieties to stop whoever killed one young girl moving on to another – Sophie.
Stunning! Just stunning. This book is an exceptional psychological thriller - one of the best I've read this year - and I have read a few!
Intensely captivating, superb writing, and very hard to put down. It's a serious page-turner at it's highest. The clever plot moves at a steady pace but never once does it avert your attention. It kept me wanting to find out more and more.
As all the pieces come together, it reveals a very sinister and unnerving twist, which I have to admit, I never saw it coming. Very clever build up and suspense. With short chapters and each one revealing a little more, it delivers a highly intense and enjoyable read.
A clear 5* for Saving Sophie, and I highly recommend you give it a read!
October 2, 2016
Saving Sophie is a psychological thriller by Sam Carrington about family and friendships full of betrayals and deceit
Karen Finch’s seventeen year old comes home late at night escorted by the police.She was found wandering on the streets muttering to herself about her friend Amy .The next day Karen realizes that Sophie has no memory of the night before. Karen soon finds out that one of Sophie’s friends Erin turns up dead and Sophie starts getting threatening texts. Karen who suffers from acute agoraphobia due to an attack two years before, tries to put the pieces together by finding out what happened that night
The books premise and plot was good but halfway through it started to get very annoying. I just couldn’t understand why Karen and Sophie would not contact the police even after they knew that a killer was stalking them. I did enjoy the epilogue and though there were some good parts in the book it still felt a little short for me . Rating -3 ½ stars
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Karen Finch’s seventeen year old comes home late at night escorted by the police.She was found wandering on the streets muttering to herself about her friend Amy .The next day Karen realizes that Sophie has no memory of the night before. Karen soon finds out that one of Sophie’s friends Erin turns up dead and Sophie starts getting threatening texts. Karen who suffers from acute agoraphobia due to an attack two years before, tries to put the pieces together by finding out what happened that night
The books premise and plot was good but halfway through it started to get very annoying. I just couldn’t understand why Karen and Sophie would not contact the police even after they knew that a killer was stalking them. I did enjoy the epilogue and though there were some good parts in the book it still felt a little short for me . Rating -3 ½ stars
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
August 13, 2016
Two police officers are at their door with their daughter who is absolutely paralytic and incoherent. The next day Sophie has no memory at all of the night before. Her friend Amy has not returned home yet. Then the body of a young woman is found but it's not Amy it's Erin who had also been out with them.
Sophie's mother Karen suffers from acrophobia. Karen is Erin's mums best friend but due to her condition Karen can't leave the house to go comfort her friend when she needed the most. Karen becomes convinced that Sophie knows more than she is letting on and that Sophie is involved and also in danger.
A well written debut novel that has your attention from the beginning and you will struggle to put it down till the end.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Harper Collins UK Avon and the author Sam Carrington for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sophie's mother Karen suffers from acrophobia. Karen is Erin's mums best friend but due to her condition Karen can't leave the house to go comfort her friend when she needed the most. Karen becomes convinced that Sophie knows more than she is letting on and that Sophie is involved and also in danger.
A well written debut novel that has your attention from the beginning and you will struggle to put it down till the end.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Harper Collins UK Avon and the author Sam Carrington for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 19, 2016
For me, Saving Sophie was a below-mediocre mystery/thriller. The premise was intriguing enough, it was the execution that was sorely lacking. Decent suspense but, in the end, when everything finally comes out, the mystery angle of this story was just too ludicrous to take seriously.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review
August 21, 2016
Karen Finch’s seventeen year old daughter Sophie had gone out with friends but arrived home being escorted by the police. She had been found wandering the roads completely out of it being obvious that she had been drinking or doing drugs.
The next day Karen finds out that Sophie has no memory of what had happened the night before and one of Sophie's friends is missing. Sophie doesn't seem too worried about anything but Karen is determined to find out just went on with her daughter that night.
I was a bit disappointed in Saving Sophie after really expecting that I would love this book. The story in itself was an OK psychological thriller but I wasn't a huge fan of the characters in this story unfortunately.
Told from alternating POVs of Karen, Sophie and the detective in charge of the case with Sophie's friend the story should have really been an amazing one. However, Karen is homebound battling anxiety after her own attack in the past so she's overly determined to get answers while Sophie is rather flippant then turns to hiding things. But both characters have one thing in common as the twists and turns come about in the book, they neither turn to the police for their own selfish reasons. This made the chapters with the investigation seem to lack a connection to the story to me.
Overall, I just came away with a this one was alright feeling when done, not particularly good or bad as the characters weren't my favorite for a thriller.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
The next day Karen finds out that Sophie has no memory of what had happened the night before and one of Sophie's friends is missing. Sophie doesn't seem too worried about anything but Karen is determined to find out just went on with her daughter that night.
I was a bit disappointed in Saving Sophie after really expecting that I would love this book. The story in itself was an OK psychological thriller but I wasn't a huge fan of the characters in this story unfortunately.
Told from alternating POVs of Karen, Sophie and the detective in charge of the case with Sophie's friend the story should have really been an amazing one. However, Karen is homebound battling anxiety after her own attack in the past so she's overly determined to get answers while Sophie is rather flippant then turns to hiding things. But both characters have one thing in common as the twists and turns come about in the book, they neither turn to the police for their own selfish reasons. This made the chapters with the investigation seem to lack a connection to the story to me.
Overall, I just came away with a this one was alright feeling when done, not particularly good or bad as the characters weren't my favorite for a thriller.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
August 29, 2016
WARNING
Do NoT start reading this book unless you have nothing else planned because once you start reading it,you won't be able to put it down.
OMG,OMG,this book is absolutely brilliant,gripping,fast paced and has a very shocking ending.
What starts out as an innocent Saturday Night out with her friends swiftly turns into a nightmare for seventeen year old Sophie Finch.First she is brought home by the police after been found totally wasted and wandering along a road on the outskirts of Ambrook,the tiny Devon village where she lives with her mum Karen and dad Mike,then when she wakes up the next morning she has no memory of what happened the night before.Having no memory,feeling ill and having your parents nagging at you isnt a bad enough start to your day for a seventeen year old she later finds out that her best friend Amy has not returned home after their night out and has disappeared.Is Sophie telling the truth about her amnesia or does she know more about her friends disappearance than she is letting on?.
The story is told in alternating chapters by Sophie,Sophie`s mum Karen who suffers from agoraphobia after a terrifying incident that happened two years ago and by Detective Inspector Lindsay Wade who is leading the investigation into Amy's disappearance.There is also emails scattered throughout the story that may or may not be written by the person who is behind Amy's disappearance.I liked Inspector Wade and her team,they got on well and she didn't have any superior officers breathing down her neck all the time and trying to undermine her just because she was a woman.The chapters are short and many of them end on cliff hangers that make you want to carry on reading.The characters are likeable just make some very questionable decisions at times,the story is gripping from the beginning right up to the rather surprising end and rockets along faster than a race scene in a fast and furious film.
It's a gripping psychological thriller about families,friendships,phobias,betrayals and lies,the story is very intreguing and has a hell of a twist at the end.This surprisingly is Sam Carringtons debut book,its absolutely brilliant and I loved it.Now I have the very long wait for her second book which sounds very good from the synopsis at the back of this one and which also happily involves Inspector Wade and her team.
Thanks so much to Harper Collins UK for a ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Do NoT start reading this book unless you have nothing else planned because once you start reading it,you won't be able to put it down.
OMG,OMG,this book is absolutely brilliant,gripping,fast paced and has a very shocking ending.
What starts out as an innocent Saturday Night out with her friends swiftly turns into a nightmare for seventeen year old Sophie Finch.First she is brought home by the police after been found totally wasted and wandering along a road on the outskirts of Ambrook,the tiny Devon village where she lives with her mum Karen and dad Mike,then when she wakes up the next morning she has no memory of what happened the night before.Having no memory,feeling ill and having your parents nagging at you isnt a bad enough start to your day for a seventeen year old she later finds out that her best friend Amy has not returned home after their night out and has disappeared.Is Sophie telling the truth about her amnesia or does she know more about her friends disappearance than she is letting on?.
The story is told in alternating chapters by Sophie,Sophie`s mum Karen who suffers from agoraphobia after a terrifying incident that happened two years ago and by Detective Inspector Lindsay Wade who is leading the investigation into Amy's disappearance.There is also emails scattered throughout the story that may or may not be written by the person who is behind Amy's disappearance.I liked Inspector Wade and her team,they got on well and she didn't have any superior officers breathing down her neck all the time and trying to undermine her just because she was a woman.The chapters are short and many of them end on cliff hangers that make you want to carry on reading.The characters are likeable just make some very questionable decisions at times,the story is gripping from the beginning right up to the rather surprising end and rockets along faster than a race scene in a fast and furious film.
It's a gripping psychological thriller about families,friendships,phobias,betrayals and lies,the story is very intreguing and has a hell of a twist at the end.This surprisingly is Sam Carringtons debut book,its absolutely brilliant and I loved it.Now I have the very long wait for her second book which sounds very good from the synopsis at the back of this one and which also happily involves Inspector Wade and her team.
Thanks so much to Harper Collins UK for a ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
April 13, 2018
I had a really hard time reading this book. It wasn't the writing. The writing style was really quite good. The problem was that I found the main characters to all be horrible people to the point of almost disbelief. The secrets they are willing to keep and the selfishness of so many people in the book, made me think that this town had the evil juju in the water or something. I just couldn't give a crap about them. The main character suffers from agoraphobia, which I also suffer from, and it is a horrible debilitating condition, but it got to the point where I wanted someone to just through a xanax in her mouth while she was talking. Geez. Horrid people.
Also the grand mystery thriller, it had a lot of twists and turns which were nice, but then it was a WTF moment? I won't say anything else. But just wow.
I wouldn't recommend this book. It was just depressing and the end blew it.
*I asked for and received a copy of this book from Netgalley and have given an honest and unbiased review *
Also the grand mystery thriller, it had a lot of twists and turns which were nice, but then it was a WTF moment? I won't say anything else. But just wow.
I wouldn't recommend this book. It was just depressing and the end blew it.
*I asked for and received a copy of this book from Netgalley and have given an honest and unbiased review *
August 22, 2016
This story is told mainly in alternating chapters between Sophie, seventeen years old and her mother Karen. The other chapters are from the police investigating the case. Sophie goes on a night out with her girlfriends but something happens and Sophie is brought home by the police. The police found her wondering around the streets and think she is just drunk but it soon becomes apparent that Sophie has no memory of what has happened. Sophies mother Karen is agrophobic, traumatised by an attack she suffered two years ago and what happened then will have consequences on their lives today. Karen is sure that Sophie is not being totally honest with her and is extremely worried about her daughter and what may have occured. Twelve hours later Sophie's friend Amy is missing, what is going on? For a debut novel this is a very good book, strong story and characters which will keep you turning the pages to the end.
August 17, 2016
Saving Sophie is the type of psychological thriller that I love for an afternoons reading – fast paced, intriguing, devisive characters and a terrific mystery element.
I read it cover to cover in one go pretty much, totally immersed as Karen struggles with agrophobia whilst trying to work out if her daughter Sophie is in any real danger after a night out goes horribly wrong. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, a fascinating look at family and friendship ties and a cleverly embedded whodunnit for you to get your brain around.
I can’t say I particularly liked any of the characters, but thats no bad thing – human beings are inherently selfish a lot of the time and it gives a touch of realism to a crime story. Whilst its not perfect (I did find it a little hard to swallow how long anyone took to tell the police something important that could save their lives and my little mobile phone bugbear turned up a couple of times) Saving Sophie is a blinder of a read in the addictive stakes and the conclusion was edge of seat good. I also liked how Sam Carrington tackled agrophobia which is crippling, not allowing any sudden miracle cures which trust me I’ve seen in other books – in this one it is a mountain for Karen to climb if she IS to save Sophie, and speaks well to the underlying theme of how far would or could you go for the ones you love.
Overall a great read, certainly setting me up to read whatever comes next. Recommended for fans of this genre.
I read it cover to cover in one go pretty much, totally immersed as Karen struggles with agrophobia whilst trying to work out if her daughter Sophie is in any real danger after a night out goes horribly wrong. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, a fascinating look at family and friendship ties and a cleverly embedded whodunnit for you to get your brain around.
I can’t say I particularly liked any of the characters, but thats no bad thing – human beings are inherently selfish a lot of the time and it gives a touch of realism to a crime story. Whilst its not perfect (I did find it a little hard to swallow how long anyone took to tell the police something important that could save their lives and my little mobile phone bugbear turned up a couple of times) Saving Sophie is a blinder of a read in the addictive stakes and the conclusion was edge of seat good. I also liked how Sam Carrington tackled agrophobia which is crippling, not allowing any sudden miracle cures which trust me I’ve seen in other books – in this one it is a mountain for Karen to climb if she IS to save Sophie, and speaks well to the underlying theme of how far would or could you go for the ones you love.
Overall a great read, certainly setting me up to read whatever comes next. Recommended for fans of this genre.
September 7, 2016
Gripping and intense, laced with mystery and intrigue, this is a real page turner.
Briefly, (and without spoilers) seventeen year old Sophie is brought home from a drunken Saturday evening out with her friends by the police. She was found in a dazed and drunken state close to where the body of her friend is later found. Sophie has no memory of the whole of the evening.
Her parents are in a strained marriage and her mother, Karen, has panic attacks and agoraphobia since she herself was attacked two years earlier. The story is told from three main perspectives in short sharp chapters – Sophie, her mother Karen and Detective Inspector Lindsay Wade. We deftly move between the three characters in a race to find the killer of Sophie's friend, Erin, before the stalker who Sophie realises is following her, strikes again.
The book touches on several issues – anxiety, agoraphobia, grief and loss as well as teenage secrecy and withholding information. Sam Carrington is a confident writer of crime and suspense and I found it a real pleasure to tramp through the book as fast as I could. I would thoroughly recommend Saving Sophie and will certainly watch out for future publications by this author.
Briefly, (and without spoilers) seventeen year old Sophie is brought home from a drunken Saturday evening out with her friends by the police. She was found in a dazed and drunken state close to where the body of her friend is later found. Sophie has no memory of the whole of the evening.
Her parents are in a strained marriage and her mother, Karen, has panic attacks and agoraphobia since she herself was attacked two years earlier. The story is told from three main perspectives in short sharp chapters – Sophie, her mother Karen and Detective Inspector Lindsay Wade. We deftly move between the three characters in a race to find the killer of Sophie's friend, Erin, before the stalker who Sophie realises is following her, strikes again.
The book touches on several issues – anxiety, agoraphobia, grief and loss as well as teenage secrecy and withholding information. Sam Carrington is a confident writer of crime and suspense and I found it a real pleasure to tramp through the book as fast as I could. I would thoroughly recommend Saving Sophie and will certainly watch out for future publications by this author.
October 4, 2016
3.5 stars. A good debut novel dealing with how far you would go to protect your daughter. I found it quite difficult to connect to Karen and actually wanted to hit her over the head several times with a chair and tell her to get a grip which actually highlights the authors skill at creating characters that get under your skin!!
November 29, 2018
I thought this thriller was really good. It was extremely well written with a great story. The only downside was I didn’t like most of the characters and the ending was a bit confusing but overall it was a brilliant. I really liked all the twists and turns the book had and it made me want to read more to find out what happens. It was an easy read but a throughly enjoyable read.
August 7, 2016
When Sophie Finch returns home from a night out with a police escort having been found wandering drunk and alone, her mother Karen is immediately worried, blaming Sophie’s friends for having allowed her to get into such a sorry state and abandoning her. With Sophie uttering something incoherent about her friend Amy, and her behaviour being so erratic, Karen begins to suspect that there is something more wrong with Sophie and perhaps even Amy. When she contacts Amy’s mother only to find out that she never returned home, the worry begins to change to panic and when a young girl’s body is found near to where the police found Sophie, everyone fears the worst.
When Sophie wakes the next day, she can remember nothing of what happened on the night out, least of all what she said to Karen about Amy. When she starts to receive emails showing her in a drunken state, she dismisses them as one of her friends playing tricks on her. When one of the pictures triggers a memory, Sophie begins to realise that she may have been there when the murder took place. That she may have seen her killer. Too scared to confide in her mother, Sophie tries to ignore the emails, but her growing unease, as well as a suspicion that she may have a stalker, forces Sophie to be honest with Karen. Mostly honest.
Karen has her own problems, ones which Sophie does not want to exacerbate. A few years ago, Karen was the victim of a serious assault, which has left her with debilitating case of agoraphobia. As Sophie begins to open up to Karen, she realises that she has a few secrets of her own, ones which may have made Sophie an unwitting target of a stalker and murderer.
‘Saving Sophie’ is an outstanding debut thriller. I read the first chapter on my phone whilst on a lunchtime walk and I realised straight away that this was a book that deserved my full attention. And boy did it get it. From the start you knew that something was very wrong, sharing Karen’s concern that Sophie must have been drugged to fail to remember anything at all from the night before. None of the characters appear trustworthy, all hiding an element of the truth and being very selective in not only what they tell the police, but what they tell each other. You do not know who to trust, who was involved in the murder. The only people you feel are truly honest in their actions are the grieving mother, hurt by what she sees as her friend’s betrayal for not getting over her fears to go and visit her, and Bailey, the Finch’s dog.
After chapter 1, I read through this in pretty much one sitting. It was a ‘sitting-forward-in-your-seat’, ‘take-your-kindle-to-the-bathroom’ kind of read. I just didn’t want to put it down. The tension was high throughout. The characters were compelling, as much as their motivations for deception as any sympathy for their plight. I found myself frustrated by Sophie’s unwillingness to go to the police, but also understanding her fears that exposure of the photographs would embarrass not only her but her mother. She is a seventeen-year-old girl. It is pretty typical that ignoring them was her first line of defence. And Karen’s condition is so convincingly written that you can feel the onset of her anxiety attacks, the absolute dread she feels in dealing with anything that pushes her out of her comfort zone. It also makes her final act to save Sophie all the more compelling and touching. No matter what, she would do anything for her daughter.
Sam Carrington has done an excellent job in creating menace throughout the story. From the simple understated e-mails to Sophie, to the interspersed anonymous e-mail communications which grow progressively more suffocating and aggressive as the story moves towards the conclusion, there are many tricks used to slowly build up the story to its shocking finale. It touches on key issues of the current era, the darker side of internet dating and the belief of the teenage generation that they are untouchable, those barely more than children who feel like everything is just a game. It is also a story of jealousy and its impacts on friendship, and a long held need for revenge.
It is just, put simply, a brilliantly told story.
5 stars.
My thanks to publishers Harper Collins UK, Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of ‘Saving Sophie’ by Sam Carrington in exchange for my review.
When Sophie wakes the next day, she can remember nothing of what happened on the night out, least of all what she said to Karen about Amy. When she starts to receive emails showing her in a drunken state, she dismisses them as one of her friends playing tricks on her. When one of the pictures triggers a memory, Sophie begins to realise that she may have been there when the murder took place. That she may have seen her killer. Too scared to confide in her mother, Sophie tries to ignore the emails, but her growing unease, as well as a suspicion that she may have a stalker, forces Sophie to be honest with Karen. Mostly honest.
Karen has her own problems, ones which Sophie does not want to exacerbate. A few years ago, Karen was the victim of a serious assault, which has left her with debilitating case of agoraphobia. As Sophie begins to open up to Karen, she realises that she has a few secrets of her own, ones which may have made Sophie an unwitting target of a stalker and murderer.
‘Saving Sophie’ is an outstanding debut thriller. I read the first chapter on my phone whilst on a lunchtime walk and I realised straight away that this was a book that deserved my full attention. And boy did it get it. From the start you knew that something was very wrong, sharing Karen’s concern that Sophie must have been drugged to fail to remember anything at all from the night before. None of the characters appear trustworthy, all hiding an element of the truth and being very selective in not only what they tell the police, but what they tell each other. You do not know who to trust, who was involved in the murder. The only people you feel are truly honest in their actions are the grieving mother, hurt by what she sees as her friend’s betrayal for not getting over her fears to go and visit her, and Bailey, the Finch’s dog.
After chapter 1, I read through this in pretty much one sitting. It was a ‘sitting-forward-in-your-seat’, ‘take-your-kindle-to-the-bathroom’ kind of read. I just didn’t want to put it down. The tension was high throughout. The characters were compelling, as much as their motivations for deception as any sympathy for their plight. I found myself frustrated by Sophie’s unwillingness to go to the police, but also understanding her fears that exposure of the photographs would embarrass not only her but her mother. She is a seventeen-year-old girl. It is pretty typical that ignoring them was her first line of defence. And Karen’s condition is so convincingly written that you can feel the onset of her anxiety attacks, the absolute dread she feels in dealing with anything that pushes her out of her comfort zone. It also makes her final act to save Sophie all the more compelling and touching. No matter what, she would do anything for her daughter.
Sam Carrington has done an excellent job in creating menace throughout the story. From the simple understated e-mails to Sophie, to the interspersed anonymous e-mail communications which grow progressively more suffocating and aggressive as the story moves towards the conclusion, there are many tricks used to slowly build up the story to its shocking finale. It touches on key issues of the current era, the darker side of internet dating and the belief of the teenage generation that they are untouchable, those barely more than children who feel like everything is just a game. It is also a story of jealousy and its impacts on friendship, and a long held need for revenge.
It is just, put simply, a brilliantly told story.
5 stars.
My thanks to publishers Harper Collins UK, Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of ‘Saving Sophie’ by Sam Carrington in exchange for my review.
September 3, 2016
Full review on www.novelgossip.com
This book has been getting a ton of positive hype on social media, so naturally my nosy self was dying to read it! While the storyline itself was excellent, I had so many problems with the Finch family that I found I couldn’t quite lose myself in the story as much as I would have liked to.
It begins with Sophie being escorted home by the police after a night out with a group of friends. She’s out of her mind drunk and when she wakes up the next morning she can’t recall much of anything from the night before. Her mother, Karen is understandably upset and shaken. It’s been two years since she was involved in a terrifying ordeal that’s left her agoraphobic. When it becomes apparent that both Sophie and Karen are in danger, the two frantically try and piece together what really happened that night.
Let’s start with what worked for me.The premise of this book really grabbed my attention, and the cover art didn’t hurt either. I’m a sucker for a good cover and this one is striking. Like I said earlier, the storyline worked for me as did the pacing. The chapters are short, rapid and told from Karen, Sophie and DI Wade’s POV. I always appreciate this approach, especially in a thriller where you know some, if not all of the narrators are unreliable. The plotting was well crafted and the tension was palpable. Carrington spoon feeds the reader with exactly the right amount of information to keep you engaged and flipping the pages quickly. I had anxiety right along with Karen as she stressed and worried about Sophie. The ending was a bit of a shock and I quite liked the epilogue.
As for what annoyed me, well the entire Finch family! Knowing the danger Sophie was in, I had a really hard time understanding why the hell Karen wouldn’t reveal all she knew to the police. Sophie was just as bad as her mother as they plotted and schemed together but were so hesitant to get help from DI Wade. Speaking of DI Wade, I would’ve liked to hear more from her as her chapters were short and infrequent and she seemed like a sharp and interesting character, she just wasn’t fleshed out at all. The afterward did make mention of her appearance in Carrington’s next novel though. Mike Finch was so irritating. He was so unsympathetic in regards to Karen’s agoraphobia that he just seemed like an insensitive jerk. With the altogether unlikability of this family and the mind blowing amount of secrets they were all keeping from each other, I really couldn’t warm up to any of them.
I’m starting to think that maybe I’ve just read way too many really well executed psychological thrillers so it’s rare that I’m blown away anymore. While there were certain aspects of Saving Sophie that I liked, I had just as many overall issues. I will say that I would be interested in seeing what Carrington writes next and that I can definitely see the appeal for some people.
This book has been getting a ton of positive hype on social media, so naturally my nosy self was dying to read it! While the storyline itself was excellent, I had so many problems with the Finch family that I found I couldn’t quite lose myself in the story as much as I would have liked to.
It begins with Sophie being escorted home by the police after a night out with a group of friends. She’s out of her mind drunk and when she wakes up the next morning she can’t recall much of anything from the night before. Her mother, Karen is understandably upset and shaken. It’s been two years since she was involved in a terrifying ordeal that’s left her agoraphobic. When it becomes apparent that both Sophie and Karen are in danger, the two frantically try and piece together what really happened that night.
Let’s start with what worked for me.The premise of this book really grabbed my attention, and the cover art didn’t hurt either. I’m a sucker for a good cover and this one is striking. Like I said earlier, the storyline worked for me as did the pacing. The chapters are short, rapid and told from Karen, Sophie and DI Wade’s POV. I always appreciate this approach, especially in a thriller where you know some, if not all of the narrators are unreliable. The plotting was well crafted and the tension was palpable. Carrington spoon feeds the reader with exactly the right amount of information to keep you engaged and flipping the pages quickly. I had anxiety right along with Karen as she stressed and worried about Sophie. The ending was a bit of a shock and I quite liked the epilogue.
As for what annoyed me, well the entire Finch family! Knowing the danger Sophie was in, I had a really hard time understanding why the hell Karen wouldn’t reveal all she knew to the police. Sophie was just as bad as her mother as they plotted and schemed together but were so hesitant to get help from DI Wade. Speaking of DI Wade, I would’ve liked to hear more from her as her chapters were short and infrequent and she seemed like a sharp and interesting character, she just wasn’t fleshed out at all. The afterward did make mention of her appearance in Carrington’s next novel though. Mike Finch was so irritating. He was so unsympathetic in regards to Karen’s agoraphobia that he just seemed like an insensitive jerk. With the altogether unlikability of this family and the mind blowing amount of secrets they were all keeping from each other, I really couldn’t warm up to any of them.
I’m starting to think that maybe I’ve just read way too many really well executed psychological thrillers so it’s rare that I’m blown away anymore. While there were certain aspects of Saving Sophie that I liked, I had just as many overall issues. I will say that I would be interested in seeing what Carrington writes next and that I can definitely see the appeal for some people.
August 9, 2016
There has been a lot of hype around this book and, admittedly, I did wonder if Saving Sophie would live up to it. I’m pleased to say I was not disappointed and it certainly deserves the attention it has been getting.
Perfectly plotted from the outset, I was immediately drawn in by the prologue, and then Sophie’s behaviour in the first chapter, for some reason, really freaked me out and gave me the creeps! I knew then that, potentially, this was going to be a book I would struggle to put down, and it certainly continued to deliver on that front. With chapters that end at exactly the right moment and snippets of information that are drip fed, Sam effectively keeps you hanging and you have to prise yourself away from it.
I love good characterisation in a book and Saving Sophie is brilliant in this respect. Told mainly by Sophie and her mother, Karen, with some chapters told from the perspective of the Detective, Lindsay Wade, you get to know Sophie and Karen inside out. Karen drove me a little nuts and at times I wanted to shake her. Sophie is the typical teenager, and I understood her fears and where she is coming from, although, as you often do with teenagers, I wanted to shake her at times too! This is one of those books that had me saying “no, no, no” at regular intervals. Sam has very cleverly used certain traits within her characters to add to the sense of rising dread within the reader. The regular focus by Karen on her breathing adds to the tension and you feel the panic with her.
It is very much told via the experiences of Karen and Sophie, the parts involving Detective Lindsay Wade are minimal. I really like that the focus is on the people directly involved, rather than on the police trying to solve the case. It brings you into that family’s life and all that they are going through. Here you discover that not everything is as it seems and a series of secrets and lies has taken it’s toll on the family unit. This added further depth to the story.
I really didn’t know which characters I could trust in this book and at one point was uncertain about every single one of them.
Sam keeps on cranking up the creepiness as the book progresses. While reading, I went through every possible scenario in my head trying to work out what had happened and how it would end. It was incredibly difficult to predict where the story was going, which, lets face it, is what you want in a thriller, and all my guesses were wrong. I LOVED the ending!
This is a perfectly paced, nail biting thriller and a very accomplished debut novel by Sam. Highly recommended, I also recommended locking the door and turning off your phone while reading Saving Sophie as you won’t want anything to drag you away from it!
Thank you to Sam Carrington, Avon Books UK (Harpercollins) and Netgalley for the advance copy.
Perfectly plotted from the outset, I was immediately drawn in by the prologue, and then Sophie’s behaviour in the first chapter, for some reason, really freaked me out and gave me the creeps! I knew then that, potentially, this was going to be a book I would struggle to put down, and it certainly continued to deliver on that front. With chapters that end at exactly the right moment and snippets of information that are drip fed, Sam effectively keeps you hanging and you have to prise yourself away from it.
I love good characterisation in a book and Saving Sophie is brilliant in this respect. Told mainly by Sophie and her mother, Karen, with some chapters told from the perspective of the Detective, Lindsay Wade, you get to know Sophie and Karen inside out. Karen drove me a little nuts and at times I wanted to shake her. Sophie is the typical teenager, and I understood her fears and where she is coming from, although, as you often do with teenagers, I wanted to shake her at times too! This is one of those books that had me saying “no, no, no” at regular intervals. Sam has very cleverly used certain traits within her characters to add to the sense of rising dread within the reader. The regular focus by Karen on her breathing adds to the tension and you feel the panic with her.
It is very much told via the experiences of Karen and Sophie, the parts involving Detective Lindsay Wade are minimal. I really like that the focus is on the people directly involved, rather than on the police trying to solve the case. It brings you into that family’s life and all that they are going through. Here you discover that not everything is as it seems and a series of secrets and lies has taken it’s toll on the family unit. This added further depth to the story.
I really didn’t know which characters I could trust in this book and at one point was uncertain about every single one of them.
Sam keeps on cranking up the creepiness as the book progresses. While reading, I went through every possible scenario in my head trying to work out what had happened and how it would end. It was incredibly difficult to predict where the story was going, which, lets face it, is what you want in a thriller, and all my guesses were wrong. I LOVED the ending!
This is a perfectly paced, nail biting thriller and a very accomplished debut novel by Sam. Highly recommended, I also recommended locking the door and turning off your phone while reading Saving Sophie as you won’t want anything to drag you away from it!
Thank you to Sam Carrington, Avon Books UK (Harpercollins) and Netgalley for the advance copy.
December 14, 2017
Darn it! This was a disappointing read. From the blurb I really thought this was going to be a true page-turner but alas, this was not to be.
The pace of the book was very slow. A good portion of the book is spent with dialogue that really drags out the same scenarios. It just lacked the oomph needed to hook you in.
I really liked Karen's character - Sophie's mum. Agoraphobic and broken. She was a great complex character and probably the stand out one of the whole book. The rest? Blurred into the background.
At first the plot seemed fabulous. Sophie turns up at home after a night out, delivered by the police but hours of the evening are a total blank. After this I knew a lot of the rest would be somewhat predictable.
My biggest issue with this book was the lack of believability. The amount of stuff kept from the police, the lack of writing the police investigation in on deeper (more realistic) levels made for a plot that began to be rather fanciful. A real shame that gritty realism wasn't there, it should have been.
More major events occur but again are managed and handled in weird ways, not true to what would likely to happen in real life. I struggled to believe the characters and engage with the story.
By the last 30% I was just frustrated and overall it was a very slow book that lacked a lot of the buzz and finesse of many other psych thrillers I've read. I'm giving this a generous 3 stars. Probably more a 2.5.
The pace of the book was very slow. A good portion of the book is spent with dialogue that really drags out the same scenarios. It just lacked the oomph needed to hook you in.
I really liked Karen's character - Sophie's mum. Agoraphobic and broken. She was a great complex character and probably the stand out one of the whole book. The rest? Blurred into the background.
At first the plot seemed fabulous. Sophie turns up at home after a night out, delivered by the police but hours of the evening are a total blank. After this I knew a lot of the rest would be somewhat predictable.
My biggest issue with this book was the lack of believability. The amount of stuff kept from the police, the lack of writing the police investigation in on deeper (more realistic) levels made for a plot that began to be rather fanciful. A real shame that gritty realism wasn't there, it should have been.
More major events occur but again are managed and handled in weird ways, not true to what would likely to happen in real life. I struggled to believe the characters and engage with the story.
By the last 30% I was just frustrated and overall it was a very slow book that lacked a lot of the buzz and finesse of many other psych thrillers I've read. I'm giving this a generous 3 stars. Probably more a 2.5.
August 28, 2016
How would you feel if the police turned up on your doorstep one night, bringing your severely intoxicated 17-year-old daughter home, who you thought was safe in the company of a group of friends? Or the next day, when the body of your daughter’s best friend is found, and your own child has no memory of how the friends got separated or what happened that night. A parent’s worst nightmare – was your child in any way involved, or worse still, is she in danger?
It seems to have become a trend these days to populate psychological suspense novels with a bunch of unlikeable characters, perhaps in an effort o make them more interesting or perhaps to follow in the footsteps of successful novels like Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl or Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train (both of which I really liked, by then way). However, I find that usually only very skilled writers can pull this off successfully. It is an art mastered by few to know how to let just the right amount of humanity shine through the sheer awfulness of the character, or to exploit those very flaws to make the person appear more interesting or rounded. To put it bluntly – unlikeable characters rarely work for me as a reader. So this is perhaps the reason why Saving Sophie did not tick the boxes for me. Whilst I had empathy for Karen, who suffers from agoraphobia after a horrific attack, all in all I thought her to be whiny, self-indulgent and irrational in her decision making, and I could not warm to her despite trying to excuse those character traits as going hand in hand with her mental illness. As for Sophie and the other self-centred, rude and unlikeable teenagers, I spent most of the time torn between an impulse to smack them, wrench the phones out of their sweaty little palms and tell them to “grow up!” Mike, Karen’s husband, is sarcastic and a bit of a cold fish, so no real feelings for him either. And the police detectives, who could have shed some light on a different angle of the story and given the reader at least one person to champion, were too under-developed to be of real interest. About a third into the novel I had a feeling that none of the characters would really grow on me, and to be honest I didn’t care if the psycho responsible for Erin’s murder wiped out the lot of them. Sorry!
Having a rather logic-driven mindset, I am also sadly lacking in any Olympic-grade talent to suspend disbelief, and therefore generally don’t like reading novels where ¾ of the action could have been prevented if the key characters had acted in a reasonable manner. By reasonable I don’t necessarily mean “doing the right thing”, but acting in a way consistent with the personality traits they are endowed with. I would hope that any average citizen Jane Doe mother, whose daughter’s best friend has just been murdered would surely call the police as soon as she fears for her child’s safety or has any theory as to who could be responsible for the crime. Especially if she had been attacked herself in the past and still lived with the consequences of that event. In my personal opinion she would have to have a pretty strong reason not to do so, unless she is a complete idiot. I would think that in the real world this same mother would be making a nuisance of herself, calling the police daily to check on any developments and test her theories, and insist that everything possible is being done to keep her daughter safe. Given the circumstances of Sophie’s involvement that night, I would certainly not let my own child out of my sight for a while and put measures in place to ensure her safety – the child is only 17, for crying out loud! I would also hope that any average citizen teenage girl, whose best friend has just been murdered and who receives creepy photos and messages on her phone, would also be scared out of her wits and pretty keen to let a parent or the police know – or at least act scared instead of just like any stereotypical obnoxious teen going about her daily business. The only thing I could think was: “Are these people for real?” Sadly for me the answer was no.
All in all, whilst I really liked the premise of the book and pounced on the opportunity to receive a preview copy from Netgalley, Saving Sophie sadly was not my cup of tea. Seeing that many readers really enjoyed it, I guess I am one of the minority, but one quite happy to stick with novels where I can like and relate to at least one of the characters. Call me old-fashioned.
1.5 stars from me for enjoyment, rounded up to 2 for the general premise of the story, which I thought had potential.
It seems to have become a trend these days to populate psychological suspense novels with a bunch of unlikeable characters, perhaps in an effort o make them more interesting or perhaps to follow in the footsteps of successful novels like Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl or Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train (both of which I really liked, by then way). However, I find that usually only very skilled writers can pull this off successfully. It is an art mastered by few to know how to let just the right amount of humanity shine through the sheer awfulness of the character, or to exploit those very flaws to make the person appear more interesting or rounded. To put it bluntly – unlikeable characters rarely work for me as a reader. So this is perhaps the reason why Saving Sophie did not tick the boxes for me. Whilst I had empathy for Karen, who suffers from agoraphobia after a horrific attack, all in all I thought her to be whiny, self-indulgent and irrational in her decision making, and I could not warm to her despite trying to excuse those character traits as going hand in hand with her mental illness. As for Sophie and the other self-centred, rude and unlikeable teenagers, I spent most of the time torn between an impulse to smack them, wrench the phones out of their sweaty little palms and tell them to “grow up!” Mike, Karen’s husband, is sarcastic and a bit of a cold fish, so no real feelings for him either. And the police detectives, who could have shed some light on a different angle of the story and given the reader at least one person to champion, were too under-developed to be of real interest. About a third into the novel I had a feeling that none of the characters would really grow on me, and to be honest I didn’t care if the psycho responsible for Erin’s murder wiped out the lot of them. Sorry!
Having a rather logic-driven mindset, I am also sadly lacking in any Olympic-grade talent to suspend disbelief, and therefore generally don’t like reading novels where ¾ of the action could have been prevented if the key characters had acted in a reasonable manner. By reasonable I don’t necessarily mean “doing the right thing”, but acting in a way consistent with the personality traits they are endowed with. I would hope that any average citizen Jane Doe mother, whose daughter’s best friend has just been murdered would surely call the police as soon as she fears for her child’s safety or has any theory as to who could be responsible for the crime. Especially if she had been attacked herself in the past and still lived with the consequences of that event. In my personal opinion she would have to have a pretty strong reason not to do so, unless she is a complete idiot. I would think that in the real world this same mother would be making a nuisance of herself, calling the police daily to check on any developments and test her theories, and insist that everything possible is being done to keep her daughter safe. Given the circumstances of Sophie’s involvement that night, I would certainly not let my own child out of my sight for a while and put measures in place to ensure her safety – the child is only 17, for crying out loud! I would also hope that any average citizen teenage girl, whose best friend has just been murdered and who receives creepy photos and messages on her phone, would also be scared out of her wits and pretty keen to let a parent or the police know – or at least act scared instead of just like any stereotypical obnoxious teen going about her daily business. The only thing I could think was: “Are these people for real?” Sadly for me the answer was no.
All in all, whilst I really liked the premise of the book and pounced on the opportunity to receive a preview copy from Netgalley, Saving Sophie sadly was not my cup of tea. Seeing that many readers really enjoyed it, I guess I am one of the minority, but one quite happy to stick with novels where I can like and relate to at least one of the characters. Call me old-fashioned.
1.5 stars from me for enjoyment, rounded up to 2 for the general premise of the story, which I thought had potential.
September 8, 2016
Wow, I don’t know if any of you noticed how many books are titled “Saving Sophie”??? There is even a “Saving Sophie” series. I will never understand why author’s don’t do more research before they title their books.
That said, I will say that for me this book was a disappointment. I had read a lot of reviews, really raving reviews, for this book. The premise is a good one. Your daughter is brought home one night by the police and she can’t remember anything that happened the night before past a certain point. The police had found her wandering around an area not usually frequented by her or her friends and mumbling incoherently. One of Sophie’s friends is missing and she isn’t being very helpful to her parents or the police. Does she know what happened? Is she hiding something from her parents?, the police?
This is the story of a mother and daughter who basically make all of the wrong choices right from the beginning of this incident. Sophie’s mother, Karen, is basically home bound after suffering an attack herself some time in the past. She is an emotional wreck and doesn’t know how to deal with her daughter or her husband for that matter. You would think that between the mother, father and daughter one of them would come to the conclusion that calling the police is the right thing to do, but that isn’t the case.
I found the writing to be mediocre. There is one point in the dialogue between mother and daughter where the mother responds to the daughter with the phrase “no shit Sherlock” which I think I remember hearing my kids using about 15 years ago. No idea where this phrase originated.
I didn’t feel the pulse pounding thrill that some other reviewers have described. We are meant to read pages upon pages of introspective wondering on the part of the mother and daughter. The character that I feel was the most believable was DI Wade who probably would have been able to solve the case had she been privy to the information that both mother and daughter are hiding.
I’ve given it a 3 star rating because I think there were some really good ideas here but it just wasn’t cohesive or believable to me.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
That said, I will say that for me this book was a disappointment. I had read a lot of reviews, really raving reviews, for this book. The premise is a good one. Your daughter is brought home one night by the police and she can’t remember anything that happened the night before past a certain point. The police had found her wandering around an area not usually frequented by her or her friends and mumbling incoherently. One of Sophie’s friends is missing and she isn’t being very helpful to her parents or the police. Does she know what happened? Is she hiding something from her parents?, the police?
This is the story of a mother and daughter who basically make all of the wrong choices right from the beginning of this incident. Sophie’s mother, Karen, is basically home bound after suffering an attack herself some time in the past. She is an emotional wreck and doesn’t know how to deal with her daughter or her husband for that matter. You would think that between the mother, father and daughter one of them would come to the conclusion that calling the police is the right thing to do, but that isn’t the case.
I found the writing to be mediocre. There is one point in the dialogue between mother and daughter where the mother responds to the daughter with the phrase “no shit Sherlock” which I think I remember hearing my kids using about 15 years ago. No idea where this phrase originated.
I didn’t feel the pulse pounding thrill that some other reviewers have described. We are meant to read pages upon pages of introspective wondering on the part of the mother and daughter. The character that I feel was the most believable was DI Wade who probably would have been able to solve the case had she been privy to the information that both mother and daughter are hiding.
I’ve given it a 3 star rating because I think there were some really good ideas here but it just wasn’t cohesive or believable to me.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2016
Police officers found Sophie drunk and wandering on her own along a main road, after a night out with her friends. The police took seventeen-year-old Sophie home to her mother. Karen Finch, Sophie's mother needs to know if Sophie was with Amy as Amy's mother is worried because Amy failed arrive home. DI Lindsay Wade knew the description of a dead young girl fits the description of Amy who had been reported as missing. A twist here will have readers shocked to find out why the description of the dead girl fitted the description of Sophie's friend Amy. It is DI Lindsay Wades duty to question every one in the group that was out drinking in the White Hart Pub and to find the killer of who killed one of the girls of the group. I have had this proof copy for months and only now just got round to reading it. I highly recommend this fascinating psychological thriller.
July 27, 2017
Thrilling, riveting, suspenseful, poignant, unputdownable. Loved this beautiful story!
August 5, 2016
I love discovering new authors especially when I get that lovely tingly feeling reading the first few pages of a book and I think to myself "this one is going to be a good one!" There has been a bit of a buzz about Saving Sophie on the social media platforms recently and sometimes that can be a bit of a let down when you actually come to read the book itself but in this case, not only did I really enjoy it, I am now desperate to read her next book based on the blurb at the back of Saving Sophie!
I could tell from the start that Sam Carrington MUST have some experience of teenage girls as this first chapter is every mother's worst nightmare. When Sophie is brought home by the police after having been found wandering the town the worse for wear, it's obvious that something is very wrong. She seems more than drunk, she isn't making sense and where is her friend? The complex mother/teenage daughter relationship is brilliantly brought to life here (I should know! Enough said!) and it raises the tension levels right from the start especially as there is also a discrepancy in the parenting styles between Karen and her husband Mike.
Told from three viewpoints (Karen, Sophie and DI Lindsay Wade) this psychological suspense really does contain some unexpected surprises. The second half of the book racked up the tension for me personally and I found it impossible to put down until I had finished. It's creepy feel really did make my skin crawl at times especially reading the emails that were occasionally interspersed that also seemed to also have something to do with Sophie and the night her friend disappears. This book is very much of our time especially with its use of social media and technology and how it seems to affect the lives of teenagers nowadays.
There is so much that could be discussed about this book making it ideal for a book club debate. Karen's agoraphobia for instance and how it's affecting her relationships not only with her own family but with her friends too. It certainly made for uncomfortable reading when she was forced to put Sophies safety above her own debilitating condition.
Although we are given an in-depth look into the thoughts and consequent actions of Karen and Sophie through their alternating chapters, I didn't feel I got to know DI Wade as well and would loved to have had more of an insight into what made her tick and act the way she did. Hopefully though, when we meet her again this will be resolved as I think there is a fascinating character there waiting to be revealed.
Saving Sophie did what many books struggle to do nowadays...it surprised me! I really liked Sam Carringtons writing style and I will definitely be looking out for her next book.
I could tell from the start that Sam Carrington MUST have some experience of teenage girls as this first chapter is every mother's worst nightmare. When Sophie is brought home by the police after having been found wandering the town the worse for wear, it's obvious that something is very wrong. She seems more than drunk, she isn't making sense and where is her friend? The complex mother/teenage daughter relationship is brilliantly brought to life here (I should know! Enough said!) and it raises the tension levels right from the start especially as there is also a discrepancy in the parenting styles between Karen and her husband Mike.
Told from three viewpoints (Karen, Sophie and DI Lindsay Wade) this psychological suspense really does contain some unexpected surprises. The second half of the book racked up the tension for me personally and I found it impossible to put down until I had finished. It's creepy feel really did make my skin crawl at times especially reading the emails that were occasionally interspersed that also seemed to also have something to do with Sophie and the night her friend disappears. This book is very much of our time especially with its use of social media and technology and how it seems to affect the lives of teenagers nowadays.
There is so much that could be discussed about this book making it ideal for a book club debate. Karen's agoraphobia for instance and how it's affecting her relationships not only with her own family but with her friends too. It certainly made for uncomfortable reading when she was forced to put Sophies safety above her own debilitating condition.
Although we are given an in-depth look into the thoughts and consequent actions of Karen and Sophie through their alternating chapters, I didn't feel I got to know DI Wade as well and would loved to have had more of an insight into what made her tick and act the way she did. Hopefully though, when we meet her again this will be resolved as I think there is a fascinating character there waiting to be revealed.
Saving Sophie did what many books struggle to do nowadays...it surprised me! I really liked Sam Carringtons writing style and I will definitely be looking out for her next book.
November 4, 2017
Saving Sophie is from British author Sam Carrington.
Karen's seventeen year old daughter Sophie is brought home by the police after a drunken night out with friends. The next day she has no memory of what happened on the night out. Which isn't good - as her friend Amy still hasn't been home either. And then a body is found.
Karen is determined to protect her own daughter, but wonders if Sophie truly can't remember a thing.....as do the police.
Carrington has given Karen an interesting affliction - she's agoraphobic. This severely limits what she can do from the confines of her house. It also allows the rest of her family to walk out the door on her. Her mental state plays a large part in her reactions to what is happening.
What I did find (okay more than) a bit hard to swallow was Karen and Sophie's relationship. While Karen seems prepared to absolve Sophie of any wrong doing, Sophie seems just as determined to annoy and distress her mother at every turn. And I really didn't like Karen herself any better. Just as awkward and disturbing was husband Mike's treatment of Karen. Truly awful.
* slight spoiler - stop now if you're going to read the book.*
Why, oh why does no one take what they know to the police?! Sophie and Karen. Because they're going to find out whdunit and why on their own? *snorts* I found the depiction of the police and their eventual investigation improbable. They walk away from solid leads and don't follow up with others.
I did finish the book as I wanted to see how Carrington would tie her ends together. Sadly I found that too unbelievable. Saving Sophie had a good premise as a base, but I found it lacking in execution. The actual title of the book appears as "Saving Sophie: A gripping psychological thriller with a brilliant twist." That long and detailed subtitle? Trying too hard.
Karen's seventeen year old daughter Sophie is brought home by the police after a drunken night out with friends. The next day she has no memory of what happened on the night out. Which isn't good - as her friend Amy still hasn't been home either. And then a body is found.
Karen is determined to protect her own daughter, but wonders if Sophie truly can't remember a thing.....as do the police.
Carrington has given Karen an interesting affliction - she's agoraphobic. This severely limits what she can do from the confines of her house. It also allows the rest of her family to walk out the door on her. Her mental state plays a large part in her reactions to what is happening.
What I did find (okay more than) a bit hard to swallow was Karen and Sophie's relationship. While Karen seems prepared to absolve Sophie of any wrong doing, Sophie seems just as determined to annoy and distress her mother at every turn. And I really didn't like Karen herself any better. Just as awkward and disturbing was husband Mike's treatment of Karen. Truly awful.
* slight spoiler - stop now if you're going to read the book.*
Why, oh why does no one take what they know to the police?! Sophie and Karen. Because they're going to find out whdunit and why on their own? *snorts* I found the depiction of the police and their eventual investigation improbable. They walk away from solid leads and don't follow up with others.
I did finish the book as I wanted to see how Carrington would tie her ends together. Sadly I found that too unbelievable. Saving Sophie had a good premise as a base, but I found it lacking in execution. The actual title of the book appears as "Saving Sophie: A gripping psychological thriller with a brilliant twist." That long and detailed subtitle? Trying too hard.
July 31, 2016
Saving Sophie is a taut thriller where although I was gripped and couldn't really put it down, I also didn't feel any fear like I often do with a psychological thriller, nor did I have any theories running through my head as I was reading it as to what really happened.
There are some shocks and surprises but nothing that really made me gasp out loud, or make me catch my breath.
The story is told by three view points, one of which is very unreliable in terms of information, one of the others is a character I should have sympathy with but just couldn't find it, and the other was the police which I did really enjoy.
Sophie is returned home one evening by the police quite early, appearing drunk and out of it. In the morning she has no recollection of the night before, but her best friend is missing. Her mother Karen is agoraphobic and suffers all sorts of anxieties, and comes up with all sorts of theories about what happened that night.
Saving Sophie is a strong debut novel by Sam Carrington that I managed to read in an evening. It held my attention at all times, and had a narrative that retained my interest while building a good picture in my mind. I'll be very happy to keep an eye on this talented author to see what they come up with next.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
There are some shocks and surprises but nothing that really made me gasp out loud, or make me catch my breath.
The story is told by three view points, one of which is very unreliable in terms of information, one of the others is a character I should have sympathy with but just couldn't find it, and the other was the police which I did really enjoy.
Sophie is returned home one evening by the police quite early, appearing drunk and out of it. In the morning she has no recollection of the night before, but her best friend is missing. Her mother Karen is agoraphobic and suffers all sorts of anxieties, and comes up with all sorts of theories about what happened that night.
Saving Sophie is a strong debut novel by Sam Carrington that I managed to read in an evening. It held my attention at all times, and had a narrative that retained my interest while building a good picture in my mind. I'll be very happy to keep an eye on this talented author to see what they come up with next.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
April 27, 2017
2.5
These characters were too unbelievable. Karen Finch was a probation officer until she was attacked by a rapist and though she got away she became agoraphobic. Her husband Michael is a ranger and fed up with his wifes disability. Sophie is their seventeen year old daughter and after being brought home by the police following a night out drinking with friends tragedy strikes. I understand Karen having issues leaving the house but there's NO way in the world I can believe she was a probation officer. She wasn't believable at all in that role and entirely too naive about everything.
The best part of the book was the last 20%. I spent more time waiting for something to happen. Some answers to the questions of the night Erin died but it wasn't with an edge of your seat anticipatory feeling. It was more of a can you tell me something to keep me interested in continuing feeling.
I received a copy from Edelweiss and the publisher for my honest review.
These characters were too unbelievable. Karen Finch was a probation officer until she was attacked by a rapist and though she got away she became agoraphobic. Her husband Michael is a ranger and fed up with his wifes disability. Sophie is their seventeen year old daughter and after being brought home by the police following a night out drinking with friends tragedy strikes. I understand Karen having issues leaving the house but there's NO way in the world I can believe she was a probation officer. She wasn't believable at all in that role and entirely too naive about everything.
The best part of the book was the last 20%. I spent more time waiting for something to happen. Some answers to the questions of the night Erin died but it wasn't with an edge of your seat anticipatory feeling. It was more of a can you tell me something to keep me interested in continuing feeling.
I received a copy from Edelweiss and the publisher for my honest review.
August 11, 2017
My daughter saw this at the library and asked to read it. When I read the synopsis, I knew it wasn't appropriate, but said I'd read it and tell her about it. Oh the things we do. The book had potential, teens out partying, one is killed, no one can piece together the details. The book is overly theatrical, not particularly well-written, and there are some unfortunate typos. Why on earth would sane adults not go to the police when they discover or realize pertinent information in the murder of a friend? Seriously. Who thinks, ah, I will just work on solving this myself. The ending left me unsatisfied, although it wasn't a neat and tidy bow, not the easy way out, so that was good.
January 10, 2017
I was disappointed.....interesting premise but could not "connect" to any of the characters, and thought the actions (or lack thereof) of Sophie and her mom as the storyline developed were really sort of absurd ....really, let's just wait a few more days.... a couple more days....another day... to see what happens next THEN (maybe) we'll call the detectives....2 & 1/2 stars rounded up to 3 because I did stay with it to the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 463 reviews