What do you think?
Rate this book
Never Go There
What if you found out that you'd been married to a stranger?
'Never go there, Nuala. Please, never go there.'
Nuala knows nothing of her husband James's past. He made her swear that she would never contact his family and never, EVER visit the place he was from.
But now James is dead, and Nuala is alone. Grieving and desperate, she decides to ignore his warning.
Nuala is about to find out that some secrets are better left buried - and that uncovering the truth about the man she married will have terrible consequences...
'Never go there, Nuala. Please, never go there.'
Nuala knows nothing of her husband James's past. He made her swear that she would never contact his family and never, EVER visit the place he was from.
But now James is dead, and Nuala is alone. Grieving and desperate, she decides to ignore his warning.
Nuala is about to find out that some secrets are better left buried - and that uncovering the truth about the man she married will have terrible consequences...
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2018
47 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
February 8, 2018
Never Go There by Rebecca Tinnelly was a very dark tale full of suspense that gave me the chills. When Nuala's husband dies she decides to visit the village he grew up in. James had warned her never to go there but she ignored his advice. This psychological thriller is a story of secrets, lies and deception and has many twists and turns. I would like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I also won a paperback copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I also won a paperback copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
September 24, 2018
Nuala knows nothing of heh husband James's past. He made her swear that she would never contact his family and never visit the place where he was from. But now, James is dead and Nuala is alone.
When her husband, James , dies, Nuala is all alone. Despite James's never wanting Nuala to meet his parents, Nuala ignores his warning and she goes to meet the family. Looking for a place to stay she finds Maggi's pub where she meets Maggie's niece, Emma. Nobody wants Nuala to stay in the village. Nuala does not get the comfort she had hoped for from James's mother, Lois, who is a bitter old woman.
The book is set in a small village in Sommerset. The story is told from Nuala, Maggie,Emma and Lois's perpectives. This book is dark, disturbing, tense and shocking. It deals with rape, alcoholism, incest, psychical abuse, obsession and abuse (just to name a few). A book that will mix with your emotions, that's full,of secrets and lies and on life living in a small village. The book is well written even though it is a bit slow in parts. Imdid not like any of the characters. It is full of twist and turns but the final twist will shock you! This is also a depressing read at times. This book will not be for everyone due to its content, I had to put it down a couple of times and go and do something else to take my mind off what I had just read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Rebecca Tinnelly for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When her husband, James , dies, Nuala is all alone. Despite James's never wanting Nuala to meet his parents, Nuala ignores his warning and she goes to meet the family. Looking for a place to stay she finds Maggi's pub where she meets Maggie's niece, Emma. Nobody wants Nuala to stay in the village. Nuala does not get the comfort she had hoped for from James's mother, Lois, who is a bitter old woman.
The book is set in a small village in Sommerset. The story is told from Nuala, Maggie,Emma and Lois's perpectives. This book is dark, disturbing, tense and shocking. It deals with rape, alcoholism, incest, psychical abuse, obsession and abuse (just to name a few). A book that will mix with your emotions, that's full,of secrets and lies and on life living in a small village. The book is well written even though it is a bit slow in parts. Imdid not like any of the characters. It is full of twist and turns but the final twist will shock you! This is also a depressing read at times. This book will not be for everyone due to its content, I had to put it down a couple of times and go and do something else to take my mind off what I had just read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Rebecca Tinnelly for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2017
I LOVED this. It was twisty as hell and more addictive than a pot of pringles – I rushed through it, hanging on to every word waiting to see what would happen.
You know I’ve been thinking that if characters read more psychological thrillers they’d have a much easier time of things because when their husband tells them to “Never go there” perhaps they wouldn’t then they wouldn’t end up in so much hot water. But luckily for us readers in this case, Nuala ignores that warning and in her grief at losing James she heads off to meet the family. What follows is an absolutely gripping page turner that disintegrates a marriage, messes with your perception of things and has a cracking finale that is incredibly shouty. By that I mean I shouted at it. No. What? Wait don’t do that…and well, you get the point.
The writing is brilliantly immersive and the characters are all cleverly drawn – I can’t say I particularly liked any of them, although occasionally had a pang of sympathy but this is a story of actions and consequences, in the end I believe they all had some kind of karmic comeuppance. It was a barnstormer of a story with some dark and emotive themes, highly engaging and really a most excellent read.
Highly Recommended – one to watch in 2018
You know I’ve been thinking that if characters read more psychological thrillers they’d have a much easier time of things because when their husband tells them to “Never go there” perhaps they wouldn’t then they wouldn’t end up in so much hot water. But luckily for us readers in this case, Nuala ignores that warning and in her grief at losing James she heads off to meet the family. What follows is an absolutely gripping page turner that disintegrates a marriage, messes with your perception of things and has a cracking finale that is incredibly shouty. By that I mean I shouted at it. No. What? Wait don’t do that…and well, you get the point.
The writing is brilliantly immersive and the characters are all cleverly drawn – I can’t say I particularly liked any of them, although occasionally had a pang of sympathy but this is a story of actions and consequences, in the end I believe they all had some kind of karmic comeuppance. It was a barnstormer of a story with some dark and emotive themes, highly engaging and really a most excellent read.
Highly Recommended – one to watch in 2018
January 8, 2019
I was going to write a ‘proper’ review of this, but I can’t, my heart isn’t in it.
Basically, a woman’s Husband dies suddenly. She has no idea about his past and he has always told her to never go to the village he called home. So, of course, she does. You can see where this is going already, can’t you?
It was predictable, it was miserable (so, so, bloody miserable,) full of stereotypes and not one single character had a single redeeming feature.
If you want to ring in your new year by reading a novel crammed full of grim despair, crack on.
If you’re looking for a nuanced thriller with unpredictable twists and turns, look elsewhere.
This book is called ‘Never go there,’ and I wish I hadn’t.
Thank you, next.
Basically, a woman’s Husband dies suddenly. She has no idea about his past and he has always told her to never go to the village he called home. So, of course, she does. You can see where this is going already, can’t you?
It was predictable, it was miserable (so, so, bloody miserable,) full of stereotypes and not one single character had a single redeeming feature.
If you want to ring in your new year by reading a novel crammed full of grim despair, crack on.
If you’re looking for a nuanced thriller with unpredictable twists and turns, look elsewhere.
This book is called ‘Never go there,’ and I wish I hadn’t.
Thank you, next.
April 26, 2018
Based on other reviews, I expected to love this book. A dark mystery thriller with a shocking turn - what’s not to love?! But I hated it. I know hate is a strong word but I had to check 4 times that I was reading the same book with all the glowing reviews.
It follows Nuala and Emma, the wife and the (for the sake of no spoilers) ex-girlfriend and the mystery surrounding the husband.
Set in a small village in Somerset but portrayed as if it were based in the wilds of an undiscovered land. Everyone was described so inhumanely as if living in a small village was to blame. The dirty people, lack of education and criminal goings on were almost blamed upon it being a small village in Somerset as if London is the centre of the world and everything else a bit savage.
Three quarters of the book were written from the standpoint of Nuala and Emma and almost glorified domestic and mental abuse. ‘He said I’m an idiot, so I am an idiot’ repeated over and over and over again. I just sincerely hope no one who has suffered at the hands of domestic and mental abuse reads this. The constant repetition of the deplorable husbands vile words grated on me. There was no purpose for it, no redeeming features for any character.
This book was constant misery, it was dirty and dank and it left me needing a hot shower.
It follows Nuala and Emma, the wife and the (for the sake of no spoilers) ex-girlfriend and the mystery surrounding the husband.
Set in a small village in Somerset but portrayed as if it were based in the wilds of an undiscovered land. Everyone was described so inhumanely as if living in a small village was to blame. The dirty people, lack of education and criminal goings on were almost blamed upon it being a small village in Somerset as if London is the centre of the world and everything else a bit savage.
Three quarters of the book were written from the standpoint of Nuala and Emma and almost glorified domestic and mental abuse. ‘He said I’m an idiot, so I am an idiot’ repeated over and over and over again. I just sincerely hope no one who has suffered at the hands of domestic and mental abuse reads this. The constant repetition of the deplorable husbands vile words grated on me. There was no purpose for it, no redeeming features for any character.
This book was constant misery, it was dirty and dank and it left me needing a hot shower.
March 1, 2022
It's not often I take such a thorough dislike to a book that my skin crawls, but this one has that effect on me. It's another of those “compulsive, disturbing and utterly addictive” debuts, but for once it hasn't been compared to “Gone Girl” or “Girl on a Train”.
So, where do I begin? With Nuala who is so gullible and naïve that, even after six years of marriage to James, knows nothing, and I do mean nothing, nada, zilch, not-one-little-bit about his background or his family? This, I find difficult to believe. But, trusting as she is, she has followed James instructions to Never Go There. Well, too bad, because James is now dead and Nuala goes a-hunting.
How about James? They say you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but he was a born manipulator and a liar and a thoroughly unlikeable chap.
Then we have The Village, which is almost a character in itself. Situated at the the bottom of the hill, at the back of beyond and on the dark side of the planet in deepest, darkest Somerset, what Naive Nuala imagines is a picturesque roses-around-the-door type of place is actually something of a cesspit inhabited by Very Strange People. If you've ever seen the pub scene in American Werewolf, you'll get the idea. There's Emma, the barmaid, whose hands are often the focus of attention – red, raw, dry, cracking. We are constantly reminded that Maggie, the pub owner is Emma's godmother, and that she, too, has her Secrets. In fact it seems this is a Village of Secrets.
Nuala's cheeks are constantly in action from blushing, sweating, going pink, going pale, sweaty, warm, hot and everything in between. Menopause maybe? Except she's too young. Then there's Lois, James' mother, who constantly taps her hands on her chest, knots them in her lap, twists them or, picture this if you will: “.......The tapping sped up. Lois' knees started bouncing, her ankles and feet jerking in rhythm.” Sounds like one of those string puppets. Within minutes of meeting each other these two are arguing viciously.
Oh – and by the way – the author should note that even an automatic car has the capability of dropping down a gear to cope with steep hills; I just move my gear stick from D to 2.....that's what it's there for.
Everything about this book made my skin crawl; the obnoxious characters, the dark filthy settings, the narrative with the many – oh so many – references to Strange Happenings, and cliched over-descriptive writing, the inconsistencies, and the dialogue. There is one particular chapter which just had me absolutely gasping in disbelief; I doubt the author did any research on this topic. To say more might spoil this for some readers.
I'm sure there are some out there who will enjoy it. So far I have resisted the urge to fling it out the window; it's at times like this I wish I had a wood burning stove....
My thanks to Amazon for an ARC, without which I wouldn't have know how truly dreadful this is.
So, where do I begin? With Nuala who is so gullible and naïve that, even after six years of marriage to James, knows nothing, and I do mean nothing, nada, zilch, not-one-little-bit about his background or his family? This, I find difficult to believe. But, trusting as she is, she has followed James instructions to Never Go There. Well, too bad, because James is now dead and Nuala goes a-hunting.
How about James? They say you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but he was a born manipulator and a liar and a thoroughly unlikeable chap.
Then we have The Village, which is almost a character in itself. Situated at the the bottom of the hill, at the back of beyond and on the dark side of the planet in deepest, darkest Somerset, what Naive Nuala imagines is a picturesque roses-around-the-door type of place is actually something of a cesspit inhabited by Very Strange People. If you've ever seen the pub scene in American Werewolf, you'll get the idea. There's Emma, the barmaid, whose hands are often the focus of attention – red, raw, dry, cracking. We are constantly reminded that Maggie, the pub owner is Emma's godmother, and that she, too, has her Secrets. In fact it seems this is a Village of Secrets.
Nuala's cheeks are constantly in action from blushing, sweating, going pink, going pale, sweaty, warm, hot and everything in between. Menopause maybe? Except she's too young. Then there's Lois, James' mother, who constantly taps her hands on her chest, knots them in her lap, twists them or, picture this if you will: “.......The tapping sped up. Lois' knees started bouncing, her ankles and feet jerking in rhythm.” Sounds like one of those string puppets. Within minutes of meeting each other these two are arguing viciously.
Oh – and by the way – the author should note that even an automatic car has the capability of dropping down a gear to cope with steep hills; I just move my gear stick from D to 2.....that's what it's there for.
Everything about this book made my skin crawl; the obnoxious characters, the dark filthy settings, the narrative with the many – oh so many – references to Strange Happenings, and cliched over-descriptive writing, the inconsistencies, and the dialogue. There is one particular chapter which just had me absolutely gasping in disbelief; I doubt the author did any research on this topic. To say more might spoil this for some readers.
I'm sure there are some out there who will enjoy it. So far I have resisted the urge to fling it out the window; it's at times like this I wish I had a wood burning stove....
My thanks to Amazon for an ARC, without which I wouldn't have know how truly dreadful this is.
June 8, 2018
With thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
Nuala Greene was devastated after the sudden death of her husband James from a brain aneurysm. Nuala lost both her parents in a house fire when she was very young. When Nuala and James got married his mother Lois was not invited, James said 'never go there, please never go there..
During their marriage James persuaded Nuala they only needed each other. When James died Nuala had no one to confide in..
Three months after James's death Nuala decided to visit Lola her only family. Before moving to London James was brought up in a village outside Somerset. Nuala soon realised why James told her to never go there. Lois was a cruel bitter woman who did not believe that James would ever marry someone like Nuala.
Nuala decides to stay in the local pub owned by Maggie who James loved as a child. However it turns out James had to escape the village after a local scandal. The repercussions of his actions all those years ago were still felt today. The story is told from the POV of Nuala, Maggie and her niece Emma.
Whoever said nothing ever happens in villages should read Never Go There. The moment Nuala drove Into the village and entered the pub I could sense the secrets and lies waiting to come out. This was a dark, thriller which dealt with abuse both mental and physical. It was very hard to like any characters because they were so deeply flawed but I could emphasize with a couple of them. I think it would of been nice if the detectives personalities had come through to relieve the tension.
But OMG I could not put this book down. The plot was brilliant with plenty of twists and turns to trip you up. The final chapters left me sat on the edge of my seat it was genius, I did not see it coming. I thoroughly recommend this book if you are a fan of psychological thrillers.
December 5, 2017
Superb!! There thats it, joking but first things first this is a superb book.
A couple of unusual things, firstly one of the main characters, Maggie, is described in such a way as reminded me of someone I know....Maggie! This is the first time I have had this, where I ‘saw’ someone I know as a main character in a book and was different for me as a reader but it actually enhanced the book, I do hope ‘Maggie’ never reads this or indeed the book!
Secondly a lot of the book is set in a village in Somerset, this to me was fascinating as we lived ( me begrudgingly ) in Somerset for 6 years and when we first moved there we lived in a village called Queen Camel, so again I pictured Queen Camel as the village in the book.....
So, the book
WOW.... its dark, fascinating, disturbing, enthralling, shocking, tense and fabulous
It deals with, amongst other things, murder, obsession, lust, alcoholism, rape, incest, physical abuse and thats just the ones I can say without giving the game away!!!
Some chapters made me stop, think woahhhhhh and have to re read to make sure I had got it right
The writing is truly sublime and wonderfully descriptive without disengaging the reader and the characters so wonderfully portrayed in all their darkness ( and occasionally lightness!! )
The story flows from page 1 and the twist ( some dont like that word but tough there is a massive one ) is so good and so breath taking you will be in awe of the writers mind to create it!!
A wonderful, explicit, unforgettable book which will stay with you long long after you finish it
5 stars 10/10
January 4, 2018
I had high hopes for the book, and I must admit that it was not easy to put down, but in the end I'm somewhat disappointed.
The book is very well written and there is a lot of suspense and unexpected twists. However, the book left me feeling depressed. There is absolutely nothing in the book that is colorful or happy. The village is a depressing place, the people uninterested in anything but drinking. There is a lot of spilled booze and dirt and vomit in the book. The main characters Nuala, Emma, James, Maggie en the others eventually start to behave all the same (I won't explain this in detail because of spoilers). Although Nuala is deeply depressed after the dead of James, I couldn't feel anything for her. I wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her the truth, and I wanted her to pick up her life and do something.
And despite the suspense and the unexpected twists there is something missing in the book. But I will let decide each reader that for his or herself.
Thank you NetGalley for this book.
The book is very well written and there is a lot of suspense and unexpected twists. However, the book left me feeling depressed. There is absolutely nothing in the book that is colorful or happy. The village is a depressing place, the people uninterested in anything but drinking. There is a lot of spilled booze and dirt and vomit in the book. The main characters Nuala, Emma, James, Maggie en the others eventually start to behave all the same (I won't explain this in detail because of spoilers). Although Nuala is deeply depressed after the dead of James, I couldn't feel anything for her. I wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her the truth, and I wanted her to pick up her life and do something.
And despite the suspense and the unexpected twists there is something missing in the book. But I will let decide each reader that for his or herself.
Thank you NetGalley for this book.
July 1, 2018
After a brutal prologue, the intensity fortunately relented for a small stretch with Nuala’s arrival into James’ home town, looking for a place to stay and stumbling into Maggie’s pub, meeting Emma, Maggie’s help and niece. She doesn’t know it yet but I’m guessing she’d have made other choices in hindsight.. nobody wants her there :-). The plotline gives a different perspective from Emma, Maggie, Lois and grieving widow Nuala in turn and it’s kind of sad but all four of these women have had their own share of grief and heartache.
When Nuala meets James’ mother Lois she doesn’t find the comfort she expected to find though. As it turns out, she’s a bitter old woman. Enough for me to dislike her instantly BUT my perception of her started to change as I turned the pages and by the end of the novel I even felt a little guilty of being so prejudiced. Nobody is born a bitter person right.. you don’t just choose to be like this, you become bitter and the author gradually divulged what made Lois the woman she is today and how all she had to deal with changed her so drastically. It really made my heart bleed.
This is not a happy novel, it’s in fact pretty dark and there was so much that happened in the past that have consequences in the present. Sadness, secrets and revenge all play their part. There is plenty of tragedy to go round but I liked Maggie, who never really recovered from her own husband’s death and hits the bottle every night, most of all. She was described so perfectly that I could really see her before me. She’s such a good person, raising her niece Emma since she was fourteen when her stepmother died. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to stop everything from coming out. When the train has left the station there’s nothing you can do :-).
Never Go There already made me hungry with its brilliant title and really, that title was perfectly chosen.. she bloody well shouldn’t have gone :-). The story was very twisted, with a lot of sensitive themes and triggers and yes I’m going to say it again, it’s very tragic. It’s dark, disturbing and the complex backstory made it a very compulsive read.
This book made me feel anger, hatred, heartache and pity. I can’t find any faults, the characters were wonderfully fleshed out and my conclusion is that I can highly recommend this read if you like to unearth secrets of the past. Impressive debut!
When Nuala meets James’ mother Lois she doesn’t find the comfort she expected to find though. As it turns out, she’s a bitter old woman. Enough for me to dislike her instantly BUT my perception of her started to change as I turned the pages and by the end of the novel I even felt a little guilty of being so prejudiced. Nobody is born a bitter person right.. you don’t just choose to be like this, you become bitter and the author gradually divulged what made Lois the woman she is today and how all she had to deal with changed her so drastically. It really made my heart bleed.
This is not a happy novel, it’s in fact pretty dark and there was so much that happened in the past that have consequences in the present. Sadness, secrets and revenge all play their part. There is plenty of tragedy to go round but I liked Maggie, who never really recovered from her own husband’s death and hits the bottle every night, most of all. She was described so perfectly that I could really see her before me. She’s such a good person, raising her niece Emma since she was fourteen when her stepmother died. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to stop everything from coming out. When the train has left the station there’s nothing you can do :-).
Never Go There already made me hungry with its brilliant title and really, that title was perfectly chosen.. she bloody well shouldn’t have gone :-). The story was very twisted, with a lot of sensitive themes and triggers and yes I’m going to say it again, it’s very tragic. It’s dark, disturbing and the complex backstory made it a very compulsive read.
This book made me feel anger, hatred, heartache and pity. I can’t find any faults, the characters were wonderfully fleshed out and my conclusion is that I can highly recommend this read if you like to unearth secrets of the past. Impressive debut!
September 21, 2023
Absolutely awful and absurd. Ridiculous character behavior and story.
Could main character really be so rich and manipulated and isolated by a person with nothing?
Sometimes they just behave quite irrationally.
Honestly really don’t waste time reading this.
Could main character really be so rich and manipulated and isolated by a person with nothing?
Sometimes they just behave quite irrationally.
Honestly really don’t waste time reading this.
November 18, 2019
The person who wrote this book has a really dark look on life. An eminently easy to read book that starts out after a family tragedy. As the story unfolds, it draws the reader further into a murky world of small village and trapped living, then a nightmare and explodes into a psychological twister at the end. Great book.
March 8, 2018
I had to read this book as soon as I received it as I was intrigued by its description. I then sat and read it in one sitting! This story is much more than a Crime/Mystery or even a Thriller. It is an emotional rollercoaster.
At first, it can take a little time to get used to the style of the writing, as it takes the reader back and forth from present day events, back to up to seven years ago. The characters are all beautifully flawed, which drew me even further into the story. This is not good versus bad, but a much more realistic, troubled versus bad. I would love to do a poll to see which character each reader wanted to prevail in the end, as my viewpoint changed regularly.
There is some superb descriptive writing used very cleverly to set the scene. There are two or three episodes of self harm which I found intrinsic to the plot, but some readers may want to skip past the description of the event. It is not gratuitous but may be a trigger to a reader who may find it upsetting to read. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy their mysteries with that extra depth.
At first, it can take a little time to get used to the style of the writing, as it takes the reader back and forth from present day events, back to up to seven years ago. The characters are all beautifully flawed, which drew me even further into the story. This is not good versus bad, but a much more realistic, troubled versus bad. I would love to do a poll to see which character each reader wanted to prevail in the end, as my viewpoint changed regularly.
There is some superb descriptive writing used very cleverly to set the scene. There are two or three episodes of self harm which I found intrinsic to the plot, but some readers may want to skip past the description of the event. It is not gratuitous but may be a trigger to a reader who may find it upsetting to read. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy their mysteries with that extra depth.
February 13, 2018
I was lucky enough to receive this as a Goodreads Giveaway and was really looking forward to reading it. The story was very good - intense with plot twists that I never would have suspected. But I feel that perhaps it was a little TOO intense. Everything in this book is dark and depressing and, as such, made it quite difficult to enjoy reading. Of course I didn't expect it to be a laugh a minute but maybe an injection of dark humour or something to lift the story a little would have helped.
October 5, 2021
I didn't get on with this book. It manages to be very dark and yet slow, not much happened in the first two thirds of the book apart from very miserable back stories. By the time things started to happen I had lost interest, I didn't like any of the characters.
October 1, 2018
Absolutely loved this book. Nualla was told to never go to her husbands home town, he forbade her to go and seek out his family. After her husband’s (James’s) sudden death and having no friends or family of her own she decided to go back on her promise to “never go there”. She went in hope of finding solace and sympathy from his mother.
Nualla booked a room in the local pub where she met Maggie the pubs owner and Emma - James’s past flame. After meeting his mum she soon discovered that she wasn’t welcome and that James had more dark secrets than she wanted to know.
Brilliantly written characters, the story is told telling of past and present snippets that give us a clearer view of what had happened. Twists and turns throughout. Highly recommended.
Nualla booked a room in the local pub where she met Maggie the pubs owner and Emma - James’s past flame. After meeting his mum she soon discovered that she wasn’t welcome and that James had more dark secrets than she wanted to know.
Brilliantly written characters, the story is told telling of past and present snippets that give us a clearer view of what had happened. Twists and turns throughout. Highly recommended.
March 4, 2019
This is a gripping psychological thriller.
Nuala was devastated after the sudden death of her husband, James.
During their marriage James persuaded Nuala they only needed each other. When James dies Nuala has no one to turn to so she decides to look into his past.
Nuala decides to stay in the local pub owned by Maggie, who James was close to as a child. However, we soon find out that James had to escape the village after a local scandal which has repercussions.
This village is far from sleepy and the title of the book, Never Go There, is very apt for Nuala as there are secrets and lies just waiting to come out.
This is a dark thriller which I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Nuala was devastated after the sudden death of her husband, James.
During their marriage James persuaded Nuala they only needed each other. When James dies Nuala has no one to turn to so she decides to look into his past.
Nuala decides to stay in the local pub owned by Maggie, who James was close to as a child. However, we soon find out that James had to escape the village after a local scandal which has repercussions.
This village is far from sleepy and the title of the book, Never Go There, is very apt for Nuala as there are secrets and lies just waiting to come out.
This is a dark thriller which I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
April 4, 2019
This is a debut novel with lots of twists and turns. There was a whole host of characters in this book with personality traits that you hate and love. I always try and guess what's happening in a book but I couldn't work it out.
This was hard to read at times but very well written. I kept changing my mind about characters, at first liking them then hating them or for others it would be the other way around. it's hard to say much in this book without spoiling it. I would say this book is about family and trust and all through the book is loneliness.
Thanks goes to the publishers and net galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was hard to read at times but very well written. I kept changing my mind about characters, at first liking them then hating them or for others it would be the other way around. it's hard to say much in this book without spoiling it. I would say this book is about family and trust and all through the book is loneliness.
Thanks goes to the publishers and net galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2018
I was really looking forward to Never Go There. The book blurb intrigued me and it’s definitely one of my preferred genres. I was expecting a tense, gripping thriller but was left disappointed. There was a lot going on and sometimes confusing. Also I couldn’t gel with any of the characters. Sorry but this book wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for the chance to review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for the chance to review.
Read
February 27, 2023Not bad. Tough genre to get it all right. This author did it pretty well.
September 20, 2023
Meh. None of the characters were likeable, I sometimes found the writing clumsy and I predicted the ending well in advance. An easy read, though, and I felt invested enough to finish it.
May 30, 2018
I was sure that I was going to like this book, the blurb sounds amazing and I was in the right reading mood for a psychological thriller but unfortunately, it really fell short of the mark for me.
It has the right ingredients, a mysterious storyline and a suspicious cast of characters, but unfortunately the set up of this book I think works against it. It is told through Nuala, Maggie and Emma, and having the different viewpoints helps to give the complete picture of what happened in the past but it was too jumbled in the beginning.
There was a bit of jumping back and forth between the different stages of Nuala��s timeline, the months between James’s death and her going to visit his family, and whilst all the information is great for understanding her motivations, I feel like any momentum that the story was gaining was halted every time it jumped back. The other flashbacks to tell the story of why James left were relevant to what was happening and moved the story forward but I feel like the first part of the book didn’t have that and it became sluggish. With a psychological thriller I have to feel invested right away and feel the tension build and unfortunately Never Go There lost me a little at this point.
I didn’t like any of the characters, and there are some instances of books where this can work to a books advantage but for me, it really didn’t work at all here. It would be very difficult to explain it fully without giving anything away and I don’t want to spoil the book because I’m sure loads of people out there will love it but there was nothing to get behind, there was no glimmer of something that made you feel like by the end you’d feel vindicated. Once I got past the halfway point and the tension did start to build, it made it difficult to really care about what was happening because I had no investment in any of the characters. I read to the end because I wanted to see how it ended but there wasn’t that kind of elation that the discovery moment usually brings.
The plot was well thought out and it could have worked but it was dark to the extreme and not in the twisty and interesting kind of way that keeps me gripped but in a way that made me feel like there was no hope left in the world. Certain components were brilliant but personally, especially because I didn’t like any of the characters, there were elements that maybe could have been changed just to make the reading experience better. It also didn’t help that some of the twists I easily picked up on, I think it was because of the detachment it made it easier for me to predict.
I’m giving Never Go There three stars because the writing was good and past a certain point I didn’t want to put it down and I think that this book will work well for some people who will connect with it better than I have, but I’m not sure it’s one I can wholeheartedly recommend because of how I felt after reading it.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
It has the right ingredients, a mysterious storyline and a suspicious cast of characters, but unfortunately the set up of this book I think works against it. It is told through Nuala, Maggie and Emma, and having the different viewpoints helps to give the complete picture of what happened in the past but it was too jumbled in the beginning.
There was a bit of jumping back and forth between the different stages of Nuala��s timeline, the months between James’s death and her going to visit his family, and whilst all the information is great for understanding her motivations, I feel like any momentum that the story was gaining was halted every time it jumped back. The other flashbacks to tell the story of why James left were relevant to what was happening and moved the story forward but I feel like the first part of the book didn’t have that and it became sluggish. With a psychological thriller I have to feel invested right away and feel the tension build and unfortunately Never Go There lost me a little at this point.
I didn’t like any of the characters, and there are some instances of books where this can work to a books advantage but for me, it really didn’t work at all here. It would be very difficult to explain it fully without giving anything away and I don’t want to spoil the book because I’m sure loads of people out there will love it but there was nothing to get behind, there was no glimmer of something that made you feel like by the end you’d feel vindicated. Once I got past the halfway point and the tension did start to build, it made it difficult to really care about what was happening because I had no investment in any of the characters. I read to the end because I wanted to see how it ended but there wasn’t that kind of elation that the discovery moment usually brings.
The plot was well thought out and it could have worked but it was dark to the extreme and not in the twisty and interesting kind of way that keeps me gripped but in a way that made me feel like there was no hope left in the world. Certain components were brilliant but personally, especially because I didn’t like any of the characters, there were elements that maybe could have been changed just to make the reading experience better. It also didn’t help that some of the twists I easily picked up on, I think it was because of the detachment it made it easier for me to predict.
I’m giving Never Go There three stars because the writing was good and past a certain point I didn’t want to put it down and I think that this book will work well for some people who will connect with it better than I have, but I’m not sure it’s one I can wholeheartedly recommend because of how I felt after reading it.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
May 10, 2018
Shocking story!!!
Great read. Amazing twists. I thought I had it all worked. I was so wrong. Or was I? Great author.
Great read. Amazing twists. I thought I had it all worked. I was so wrong. Or was I? Great author.
December 3, 2017
Oh this is a good one for all those who like a good thriller. With a fantastic twist and turns and an ending that will leave you breathless. Fantastic
February 13, 2018
#NeverGoThere:agrippingPsychologicalThrillerWithAtwistThat'llShockYouToTheCore #NetGalley I was so looking forward to reading this book due to the write up and hype about it but unfortunately it didn't really work for me. There was lots going on and plenty of twists and turns including one at the end that I didn't anticipate at all. However I found that I could not like or identify with any of the characters. For me, they didn't have any redeeming qualities and nothing that made me root for any one of them. The two main characters Nuala and Emma were obviously vulnerable individuals but I wanted to shake them to say why are you still pining after a man who called you stupid and idiotic and was obviously very manipulative. The book was also very 'dirty' and by that I mean not clean....the pub, the houses, the people - I wanted to take a scrubbing brush to them all.! I find it hard to really enjoy a book if I cant at least warm to one of the characters and there was not a single one for me in this book. A disappointing read for me unfortunately.
March 18, 2018
What if you found out that you'd been married to a stranger?
Nuala knows nothing of her husband James's past. He made her swear that she would never contact his family and never, EVER visit the place he was from.
But now James is dead, and Nuala is alone. Grieving and desperate, she decides to ignore his warning.
Nuala is about to find out that some secrets are better left buried - and that uncovering the truth about the man she married will have terrible consequences...
I read this book in one sitting! I couldn’t put it down! For a debut novel it’s brilliant! I didn’t see that coming! And all these exclamation marks! I would highly recommend this book. I can’t wait to read more from this author. 5*
Nuala knows nothing of her husband James's past. He made her swear that she would never contact his family and never, EVER visit the place he was from.
But now James is dead, and Nuala is alone. Grieving and desperate, she decides to ignore his warning.
Nuala is about to find out that some secrets are better left buried - and that uncovering the truth about the man she married will have terrible consequences...
I read this book in one sitting! I couldn’t put it down! For a debut novel it’s brilliant! I didn’t see that coming! And all these exclamation marks! I would highly recommend this book. I can’t wait to read more from this author. 5*
April 2, 2018
After his death, Nuala decides to visit her husband James's childhood home, even though he told her repeatedly to Never Go There. What she finds there is a hotbed of seething anger, resentment, and worse.
Now, I like dark and twisty, but I felt tainted after reading this, and there were a couple of points where I almost stopped reading due to the subject matter. Overall, it is a well-written book with twists and turns, and the ending is fairly good too but I didn't enjoy reading it. That's just my personal view and many other reviewers loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to review an ARC.
Now, I like dark and twisty, but I felt tainted after reading this, and there were a couple of points where I almost stopped reading due to the subject matter. Overall, it is a well-written book with twists and turns, and the ending is fairly good too but I didn't enjoy reading it. That's just my personal view and many other reviewers loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to review an ARC.
February 1, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
A superb psychological thriller that immersed the reader into a dark and twisted family history full of issues such as alcoholism and murder and emotions such as lust and guilt.
It contains everything you’d want from a thriller; characters you both feel sympathy for and want to slap, combined with a brilliantly addictive plot.
You’ll want to clear your diary to read this in one go!
I’d recommend this to fans of Paula Hawkins and Jo Spain.
A superb psychological thriller that immersed the reader into a dark and twisted family history full of issues such as alcoholism and murder and emotions such as lust and guilt.
It contains everything you’d want from a thriller; characters you both feel sympathy for and want to slap, combined with a brilliantly addictive plot.
You’ll want to clear your diary to read this in one go!
I’d recommend this to fans of Paula Hawkins and Jo Spain.
March 12, 2018
Despite being a lover of psychological thrillers I found this a little too dark for me. A truly despicable line-up of characters - not one enduring one. A story set recently and seven years ago. They are cleverly and slowly drawn out to meet with the conclusion but there really are some creepy and disturbing sagas getting there. A good twisty ending.
January 18, 2018
I quite enjoyed reading this book. The ending was very good and well thought out.
I don’t think I would read any other books by the same author.
I don’t think I would read any other books by the same author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews