Don’t Turn Around

by Amanda Brooke

She died.

You’re next.

Now he’s coming for you

Ten years ago, Jen’s cousin Meg killed herself after failing to escape an abusive relationship.

Now, Meg’s ex is back and Jen’s domestic abuse helpline has started getting frightening calls from a girl who knows things about Meg – details that only the dead girl or the man who hurt her could have known…

As Jen starts to uncover the past, someone is determined to stop her. Can she save this young woman from Meg’s fate? Or is history about to repeat itself?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Crime

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2019

About the author

Amanda Brooke lives in Liverpool with her teenage daughter, Jessica. When her three-year-old son died from cancer, Amanda was determined that his legacy would be one of inspiration. Yesterday's Sun is inspired by her experiences of motherhood.

Reviews

[Kash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought it two weeks ago,
It took me a while to give it a go,
The description was intriguing,
Good that it wasn't so revealing.

From the first page it was astounding,
Because of which my heart is still pounding,
It's a great thriller,
I wanted to know who was the killer.

It deals with some serious issues,
I don't think you'll need tissues,
The end was a literal shock,
About which I don't want to talk.

This was unexpectedly amusing,
You'll like it I'm assuming,
Not many people have read this,
This is something you shouldn't miss.

My review convinced you guys to read this book, right?😁

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having found Amanda's previous novel The Bad Mother surprisingly compelling, I was excited to see whether this would live up to my expectations, but it actually exceeded them. Don't Turn Around is a quick, entertaining read full of unpredictability, twists, turns and red herrings. This is an intricately plotted, clever page-turner, and there are a few emotive scenes and sensitive subjects that Brooke depicts respectfully and sympathetically. With lies, secrets, deceit and deception this is a gripping and intense read which demands to be devoured in a single sitting.

Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

You can also find my reviews posted here on my blog.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turn Around by Amanda Brooke is a psychological thriller.
Jen's cousin Megan committed suicide after she failed her A levels and could not get a place at university. Megan's family are devastated and blame Megan's boyfriend Lewis of causing her suicide and accuse him of abusing her.
The family open a helpline called Lean on Me where Jen now volunteers to answer the telephone. Jen wants to find out what really happened to her cousin and will stop at nothing including stalking Lewis.
I found this book very slow and the characters unlikeable.
I was invited to read this book by the publisher Harper Collins and would like to thank them for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book that was! Not the easiest of reads as it touches on some very tough subjects. It is emotional - made me so angry at times as well as sad. The characters were real and the story was great. I stayed up late to finish this one.

10 years ago Jens cousin Meg killed herself when she was unable to escape an abusive relationship. The family blamed the boyfriend who has now returned to town. In the 10 years since Megs death the family have started a helpline to try to stop the same thing happening to other girls. When Jen starts to get calls from a girl who knows things about Meg and her relationship she believes it is the ex-boyfriend and vows to make him pay for what he did to her cousin and best friend. The ending of this book had me shocked and angry! As hard as the subjects were I could not get enough of this book.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good grief! What an emotional rollercoaster ride this was. It took me several moments to recover from the devastating storyline Don’t Turn Around focused on.

Ten years ago, Meg killed herself. Her mother Ruth and cousin Jen have always believed Meg saw no other way to escape the abusive relationship she was in with her boyfriend Lewis. But lack of proof meant Lewis was never brought to justice. Now, Lewis is back in town and the helpline where Ruth and Jen work starts receiving frightening calls from a girl who knows things about Meg and is finding herself in the same situation. Can Ruth and Jen help this girl to safety before it’s too late?

This story is told through the perspectives of Ruth and Jen. Both of these characters struggle immensely with the guilt of not having seen what Meg was going through, of having been unable to see the signs and get her the help she needed. Throughout the story, you’re left to wonder if Ruth and Jen knew Meg at all as they delve into their memories of her short life. That in turn made me, as the reader, wonder about Meg as well. Was she someone who liked playing games, pulling people to her and then pushing them away again? Or was there something far more sinister going on that damaged her?

The search for the truth is not an easy one. Dealing with this new girl via the helpline has major consequences. Ruth and Jen have always vowed that the best way to deal with Meg’s loss is to make sure no other girl ever has to deal with what she dealt with. But does this determination blind them to the truth? And will they finally find out why Meg took her own life?

Amanda Brooke does an amazing job in delving into the aftermath of a loss like Meg’s for those around her. The immense struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives and move on without her is utterly realistic and believable. Time does not heal all wounds and that’s something that’s very noticeable here. This isn’t the most comfortable storyline to read as it deals with the rather dark and disturbing topics of abuse and suicide but I feel the author tackled it brilliantly.

Don’t Turn Around is a gripping, suspenseful and emotive psychological thriller with plenty of twists and red herrings. It made me angry, it made me sad and had me completely engrossed right up until the incredibly shocking ending.

[Danielle-Gemma💜 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was quite a hard read and will be triggering for a lot of people! It just gently stumbled along, the narrative wasn’t awful, nor where the characters (well the ones you were meant to like anyway!) and I read it fairly fast but I kept finding my mind wandering and despite having a book afternoon planned, I couldn’t commit myself fully to reading this book in an afternoon.

It wasn’t the worse book that I’ve read recently - that bar is very low currently! I would try another book by this author, I wouldn’t rush to find her in the library, but it a book of hers landed on my shelf I wouldn’t ignore it completely

[Mellisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! The twists I never saw coming! It was a slightly slow start but wow towards the middle it started getting intense!

I had my suspicions about them all (Charlie, Lewis, Geoff) and I couldn't make up my mind who it was, so I really did not see the ending coming! Every time I thought I knew there was something else that made me change my mind!

Jen and Ruth are strong female characters (which I LOVE!) which made the book even better in the sense that perspectives changed from one to the other. I loved how it had a satisfying ending and how the story just came together slowly but so intensely.

What a book! I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent and easily one of my favourites. It was a heartbreaking story about Meg’s suicide. Told by Meg’s mother and cousin. It had me hooked straight away. It had a variety of topics which were dealt with well and I’m glad the book highlighted real life situations like domestic abuse, suicide and loss. The book had the most twists and turns I’ve ever read in any book. I was shocked so many times. You change your mind frequently during the story but the reveal really shocked me and it was never ever what I suspected. I really felt for Jen and Ruth and I really warmed to them as people. I definitely recommend this book. It had everything and more.

[Debra K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It must be the season for slow burning thrillers, which I do love to read. In this story, we follow Jen. Jen's cousin committed suicide ten years ago and Jen has not yet made her peace with it. With her aunt, Jen works and helps run a helpline for victims of domestic abuse. We follow Jen as she suspects that either Meg is not dead or someone is playing a cruel trick on her. Mix that with the fact that Meg's old boyfriend is back in town, that means Jen is constantly on edge and waiting for something to happen.

I really enjoyed this story. It was slow paced but did have a few twists and turns along the way. Although I did guess the ending about half way through the novel, that didn't stop me enjoying following Jen as she discovers for herself what was wrong. Finding out the truth, genuinely was disturbing...


For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe

Debs :-)

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten years ago when Meg took her own life, after being unable to escape an abusive relationship, some of her family's way of dealing with it was to try to give troubled women someone to listen to them and let them know they weren't on their own. The family set up a help line called Lean on Me, where I am sure over the years they had saved many lives but when a new caller seems to be going down the exact path that Meg did it rings alarm bells. Could the monster that drove Meg to ending her life be doing the same to another young woman. They knew Meg's ex Lewis was back in town. If they are to save this woman they have to track her down.
This is such an emotional read with so many taboo subjects rearing their heads. The return of Meg's ex opens festering wounds in the family that simply won't heal. They feel that justice was never served to the guilty man who drove her to end her life. As the family becomes obsessed it becomes a race against time. No-one will listen to them so Jen, Meg's cousin, becomes his stalker. Lewis has always sworn his innocence, one victim was too much she won't let it be two.
This story has a terrible sadness about it but the characters are perfectly formed and react to situations in realistic and convincing ways. It is this that makes it an outstanding read.
Meg's suicide left a lot said and no answers, clues with clues in clues. I don't know if you can ever feel peace when someone you love takes their life perhaps you can only accept what you can't change. This is a gripping read to start with and turns into one that made me totally numbed.

[Viola · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t particularly enjoy this read. The subject matter is a difficult one, but that’s not the reason. I It went on a bit and it was fairly predictable. Maybe this genre of books is not for me.

The writing was fine, though I didn’t love the way the story was told with the two characters telling the story. Often I’d forget if it was Jen or Ruth telling the story, especially when they were talking to each other! Some of the dialogue was repetitive and I just didn’t feel very invested in the story.

It must have been a difficult subject matter to write about, and it did feel like the author had done a lot of research and wrote about it sensitively.

[Lauren Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally have no words for how SCRAMBLED this book made my head!!!!! So many twists and turns.. I couldn’t put it down! This is the first book of Amanda Brooke’s that I’ve read but it won’t be the last! UNREAL!

[Dawn Marsanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. Too long and parts are repetitive.
I skim read some chapters towards the middle.
At least 100 to 150 pages too long.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe I just spent my time reading this, even if it was speed-reading the second half of the book or so. I really didn't enjoy this, but curiosity got the better of me, pushing me to finish it.

Ten years ago, Megan hanged herself in her very own home. Ten years later, her mother and cousin still haven't yet reached a stage of closure. Written between their POVs, this book takes us through Ruth and Jen's grief and determination. To commemorate Megan's death, Ruth has set up a helpline for any women going through toxic relationships, something that they believe Megan killed herself over. One night, an anonymous phone call revealed certain things that made Jen believe that Megan's boyfriend has now found another target. Ten years ago, the case was closed by the police, and who they believed to be the culprit did not face any consequence. Now that he is back, they are more than willing to go through with anything to ensure his true personality is shown to the world.

Sounds interesting? The plot definitely has potential, but the way it is executed makes this book a chore to read. All the characters are unlikable. Scenes become repetitive, obviously making this turn out to be a drag. It's so slow that it's highly appropriate to mention that most of the story is used to describe Ruth and Jen's hostility and hatred towards Megan's ex-boyfriend, and their guilt for not seeing the signs that prompted the suicide.

And honestly am I glad that neither Ruth nor Jen are detectives, because they will be very, very bad at it. But I do have my reservations for this. These people are grieving, they want justice, and they will do anything to achieve it.

That said, the author handles the theme of abuse really well. The helpline and examples of toxic relationships that exist in the world are very real. I could feel the disgust, sympathy and frustration for the victims mentioned inside. The twists at the end made up for the story a little as well. I would have given a one star were it not for them. But... if I look at it overall, the effort's really not that worth it, to have to plough through the tiresome narratives of Ruth and Jen. Even their POVs are not clearly divided, the headings useless. I always have to take a step back for my brain to understand that 'Hey, this is about Megan's mom, not cousin. Switch. Now.'

By A Floret's Breath

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Physchological thriller which includes lots of difficult subjects such as Abuse, Suicide and Bereavement. I felt the first half of the book was quite slow and i had to push myself to read on. I also felt the switches between the two Characters confusing at times because they were both quite similar. I am glad that i read on in the end because there were some amazing twists and an explosive ending. Although this book wasn't one of my favourites i would say it is worth a read.

[Stephen Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of thriller that I just love to read. It is a powerful, unpredictable, and occasionally emotional story with a compelling plot that impressively explores a number of challenging issues. It kept me engaged throughout with its mix of complex characters and ever-present suspense.

I will admit that I thought I had this book all worked out a long way before the end, only to be proved wrong. Some of my theories hit the right notes, but when the final dramatic twist was revealed I was totally caught out! The author left some very subtle hints along the way, as well as some clever red herrings.

The story is told from the first person present tense from the points of view of the two main protagonists, Ruth and Jen. I thought both them are extremely well drawn and contain a great amount of depth, and the same can be said about all of the secondary characters, which is something I really appreciated about the book.

It is through these characters that all of the challenging issues are examined, and they become increasingly impactful as the story develops and nears its end. The way that the author captured the unimaginable grief and self-blame of both Ruth and Jen is especially brilliant, as 10 years on they both still reflect on how they could have helped the enigmatic Megan before she died.

There are regular flashbacks from both main characters to when Megan was alive, and these moments really underline just how complex she was. The idea of the helpline and the vulnerability of its callers, is a powerful symbol of the issues contained within the book, and enabled me to gain an even greater emotional connection.

I liked the writing style. It was well-structured with a fairly steady pace that felt ideal for a primarily character-driven story, allowing tension to gradually build. I also liked how the author seemed to be able to read my mind and immediately answer questions that I was forming at certain points of the book!

It was good reading about the setting, too. This book is set in Liverpool; a city that I know quite well having been there several times, so it was fun to read about places that I have been to and be able to visualise them.

There are not many things I can criticise about the book. Sometimes a couple of the plot strands became a bit repetitive, while some of the flashbacks to Megan were a slight distraction to the present-day storyline, but these are both relatively minor.

Overall, this is a fantastic thriller that I would certainly recommend to anyone who likes the genre. It is strong and captivating and well written, with plot twists that you may or may not see coming! This is the first book I have read by Amanda Brooke, and it will not be the last!

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten years ago, Jen’s cousin Megan killed herself at the age of seventeen. In the present day, Jen works for a helpline, Lean On Me, set up by Megan’s parents in her memory in order to support young women in difficult situations. When Megan’s former boyfriend, Lewis, arrives back on the scene and at the same time the helpline begins getting calls from a woman apparently in the same situation as Megan, Jen feels driven to take action... and begins to question what she really knows about what happened in the past.

The story is narrated in turn by Jen and Megan’s mother Ruth, and while this generally worked quite well I did forget at times whose section I was in, as their voices were quite similar. The story was well put together and although I did have an inkling of where it was going (though I hoped I was wrong), Amanda Brooke did a good job of keeping the reader guessing.

There are some dark themes here of abuse and self harm, and it was not an easy read at times for this reason. I did think it took a while to get going, but once drawn in I found the story quite compelling. A couple of things took me out of it at times - one character is from Romania and is described as having an East European accent, but this is depicted mainly by having her speak in an overly formal manner, which felt forced and didn’t help me believe in the character - particularly as most of the contact with her is over the phone.

As I said there are some dark themes but for the most part sensitively treated. A good read.

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even after 10 years, the pain of lose is still there.

It is 10 years since Jen’s Cousin Meg killed herself. Meg was in an abusive relationship and she couldn’t escape.

Now Jen and Meg’s Mum and Dad are fighting to keep the phone line opened in Meg's name running. Meanwhile, the hated boyfriend is back in town and could open old wounds and old secrets.

A harrowing story of suicide and abuse that will have you crying and a heartache no one should have to endure.

To say I enjoyed this book would be wrong, yes it was good but not the sort of topic to enjoy but to read and perhaps spare a thought for the women and girls who go through abuse every day and feel they have nowhere to turn for help.

The book is well written and it handles the subject with empathy and care, the twist and turns of the plot make good reading like a novel and I didn’t see the surprise ending coming.

A book worth reading, and I will be looking out for more by Ms Brooke.

Ellezig.

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

[↠Ameerah↞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ 4.5 stars.

Woah. This book was so intense and emotionally packed. I'm still trying to gather my thoughts. The ending just blew me away.

The book touches on many sensitive subjects such as; mental abuse, suicide, bereavement, and rape. Amanda did such a fantastic job of telling this difficult story, in a respectful and sensitive manner. It was very emotionally charged at times but understandably so. It had me enthralled from the very beginning and continued to captivate me as the story progressed.

It was very well written and very unpredictable, with many twists and turns. Definitely a page turner that I couldn't put down. There were a few gasps out loud moments, and at the end, I had to close the book and get myself together before I could finish the last few chapters.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg killed herself ten years ago to escape an abusive relationship. Her cousin, Jen, runs a domestic abuse helpline and a caller seems to know about Meg and her ex.

This was quite a slow burn then the pace whips up and I found myself racing through the pages. Brilliant read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jen’s cousin killed herself ten years ago and she is trying to assist a helpline caller who knows intimate details of the case. The plot line was interesting but I never became invested with the characters in this slow moving novel.

[Lu Etchells · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it’s safe to say that Psych Thrillers are kind of my thing … but sadly, this one just wasn’t. I really struggled to get in to this, and found the first 356 pages or so akin to wading through treacle. I don’t bail on books, but this is one that seriously tempted me to!

Sadly I’m not entirely sure what the problem was, other than it was a bit slow. There felt like there was a lot of (repetitive) scene setting, and background information that just went over and above what was needed. Equally, the characters just weren’t that likeable.

I probably struggled a bit too much with the change in POV throughout – yes, it’s only two people, yes it IS clearly marked at the start of each chapter but that said, it felt a little too gimmicky for me, and didn’t always make sense.

Such a shame as the idea is actually very good, and whilst I felt I knew what the twist was from about page 50, there was another sting in the tail. To be honest, that’s why it’s getting a three and not a two.

[Leah Wood · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terribly written, and unbelievable. The constant repeat of the death of Meg and the guilt of everyone in this story was very irritating. The whole book could have been summed up in about 100 pages. Not sure why I finished this book ....

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sooo intense

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Amanda’s (nice name by the way) since I picked up her first book a little while ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of her previous books and I had high hopes for ‘Don’t Turn Around’. I was not to be disappointed as I absolutely loved ‘Don’t Turn Around’ but more about that in a bit.
I really felt for the character of Jen. She was especially close to her cousin Meg and in fact they were more like sisters than cousins. Both seemed to ‘get’ the other one. Meg commits suicide and Jen is left feeling heartbroken and as though a part of her is missing. It later emerges that perhaps Meg committed suicide due to the actions of her bullying partner. I wasn’t sure what to make of the ex-partner and I changed my mind about him a couple of times. Jen has channelled her grief and is turning it into something positive by helping her Aunt with the foundation that her Aunt set up in Meg’s name. The foundation is to help people who are in abusive relationships. Jen still misses Meg dearly and she is very concerned about her aunt, whose daughter Meg was. Jen thinks that her aunt is asking for trouble by almost naming Meg’s ex-partner, despite the legal implications. Jen is particularly freaked out when she hears that Meg’s ex-partner is back and she just hopes that he doesn’t do to anybody else, what he did to Meg. It may be too late as the helpline/ foundation receives some very worrying information from somebody who seems to know an awful lot about what happened to Meg. What is the truth? Is Meg’s ex partner abusive to his new partner? Can he be stopped? Will Meg’s parents pull together or will they be driven further apart? What happens to Jen? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
OMG, Amanda Brooke has done it again. She has written a book that grabs your attention from the start and keeps it all the way through the book. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat but not in this case. I was glued (not literally) to the book as there was just so much happening or being revealed, that I thought if I put the book down then I was going to miss something. I was addicted to reading ‘Don’t Turn Around’ and I seemed to race through the story. I was so focused on the story that I didn’t realise the speed with which the time was passing and the pages were turning. I binge read the book over the course of a day and the book travelled everywhere with me. I begrudged having to break off from reading and on the odd occasion that I had to put the book down, then I would find any excuse that I could to get back to reading, which didn’t go down well with my two diva Labradors, who missed out on their walk- oops.
Reading this book was much like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride, with lots of twists and turns along the way. On a few occasions I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was going to happen next.
‘Don’t Turn Around’ is very well written. The chapters are relatively short and written from the point of view of certain characters. During the course of the story, the author tackles some pretty distressing subjects but she writes about them with great compassion and sensitivity.
Amanda Brooke has got another bestselling hit on her hands with ‘Don’t Turn Around’ and in my opinion it’s the best of her books to date. I would definitely recommend her and her books to other readers. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Megan Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten years ago, Jen’s cousin Meg killed herself after failing to escape an abusive relationship. Now, Meg’s ex is back and Jen’s domestic abuse helpline has started getting frightening calls from a girl who knows things about Meg – details that only the dead girl or the man who hurt her could have know. As Jen starts to uncover the past, someone is determined to stop her. Can she save this young woman from Meg’s fate?

What a twisting, sickening read this is, 'Don't Turn Around' is by no means an easy read, Brooke really does not hold back from some very serious subjects. Brooke throws us in at the deep end from the off and the book gets progressively darker as the plot progresses, until we are left with very sickening revelations. Despite saying this, I did not feel this was a gripping read, if anything I would say I was bored for large portions of the book, I think this is simply because the book is too long but it did hamper my enjoyment.

It is clear from the beginning of the read that all is not going to be what it seems, then Brooke proceeds to throw in hints at what the major twist could be. Now I did not work out what the major revelation was, however, due to the large amount of time spent building up the tension towards this big reveal, I did think the reveal when it came, lost impact. I was expecting something shocking to be thrown my way so when it was, I was not massively surprised. I do have one major concern with the plot and it surrounds Brooke including flashback sections. Now I am as big a fan of flashbacks as the next person but the way Brooke wrote them was very confusing. There was no clear split from the main plot, Brooke would randomly go to the past with no obvious sign and it took a while to realise that we were in a flashback, it was very confusing and resulted in the book losing its flow.

I did enjoy the plot, I just think there were flaws with it and it was nowhere near as thrilling as one would expect a thriller to be. Now, the characters are interesting, Jen and Ruth are our main characters and they are fascinating to follow. We pick them up when they are very damaged, fighting their way through life after a harrowing past. We see them at their worst and we see them coming through the other side and they are two characters that are likeable, realistic and simply make the read that little bit better.

'Don't Turn Around' is an intense read with devastating subject matter. This has shocking revelations but is not a thrilling book to read.

[ClemJungReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Liverpool, the book is centred around a family who are still reeling from the suicide of the beloved Meg, ten years on. Cousin Jen and mother Ruth, have set up the Lean On Me helpline which supports women navigating abusive relationships. Set between first person perspectives of Ruth and Jen, their pain is still fresh and the answers surrounding Meg’s death haven’t stopped. The prologue starts with a suspenseful confrontation between Jen and Lewis, the abusive boyfriend who ultimately led Meg to her death, ensuring that we understand the danger that this man possesses (or think he does). In comes Ellie, a woman phoning the helpline with secrets surrounding Meg’s death that only Meg or Lewis would’ve known, leading us to believe that Lewis is back at it again… Or is he?

I felt that the novel initially had a pretty slow pace, with the real drama and twists revealed right at the very end. That being said, there were constant clues and red herrings being dropped throughout allowing the reader to piece together the story as the characters did. Other reviewers said they guessed it halfway through, I actually didn’t find the plot as predictable as others have said. Or maybe I just haven’t read as many thrillers. For one - I definitely felt that things with Lewis weren’t as black and white and as it was a thriller, I expected the whole ‘things aren’t as they seem’.

Brooke handles the aftermath of suicide in a poignant and sensitive without glorifying it, which I was worried about (ahem, 13 Reasons Why). I loved the relationships between Jen and Charlie, as well as Jen and Ruth, and I felt that all the characters were reasonably complex in their own right. The setting in Liverpool was something I enjoyed as someone who grew up in the U.K., as I realized I’ve barely read any books recently set in my home country, with Harry Potter being the only books that come to mind - but this is just the homesickness in me talking. I really liked Brooke’s writing as I found it clear and concise and I didn’t feel lost at all in the increasingly complicated plotline. The ending felt cathartic, making me realize how engaged I was with the story, as I felt the emotional release with the characters during this moment. I’m glad Meg was finally understood.

Brooke handles a sensitive and emotional topic in a realistic and healthy way. The book was tough at times, but really compelling and I really truly enjoyed it. Will definitely be seeking more by this author, as this book was really exciting and I loved every second of it.

[Jennifer Bourque (ButterflyReader77) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Don't Turn Around" was the first book I have read from author Amanda Brooke and I must admit, I wasn't overly enthused with this book. It was slow and took some time to really grip it's readers. With that being said, it wasn't a terrible book, but it wasn't a book that you must read either. The book had it's moments and it told a thought-provoking and heartfelt story when it was all said and done.

If I could turn back time, I would probably really have skipped this book as it was just such a slow burn. In fact, while reading "Don't Turn Around", I did something I never, ever do while reading a book, and that was - I read the conclusion of the book. I just wanted to know what the big twist was and whether or not the twist determined the story to be finish-worthy. Upon reading the conclusion I decided that yes, I want to continue reading to see how the story derived to that conclusion, and all that I can say is "meh".

"Don't Turn Around" focuses on Ruth, and Jen and their inability to come to terms with the death of Meg ten years ago. Ruth is the mother to Meg and Jen is her cousin, and both Ruth and Jen have struggled greatly with Meg's death and they deal with the aftermath of her death through operating a helpline for abused women. Meg killed herself and they both believe that the suicide occured because Meg was abused at the hands of her then boyfriend Lewis. But the question is, have Ruth and Jen got it all wrong? What really happened to Meg?

As Ruth and Jen start to work through the last ten years to truly find out what led to Meg's suicide, they discover that those closest to them may hold the key to the past. The story focuses on sexual abuse and some hard points of discussion and should not be taken lightly. If you have difficulties reading stories about sexual abuse, this may not be the book for you.

In addition to the themes of sexual abuse, the story delves into other forms of relationship abuse. One of the main plotlines of the overall storyline is the helpline set up in the memory of Meg. Both Ruth and Jen work the helpline and they cross boundaries of that helpline when they try to help their callers escape their abuse. Neither Ruth nor Jen were able to save Meg so when they attempt to save other abused women, things take a turn for the worse.

"Don't Turn Around" wasn't by any means a book that keeps you up well into the night reading, but if you enjoy slow stories with a slight twist, but yet are not overly active, you may enjoy this book. As I mentioned above it is heartfelt so you will feel a variety of emotions but there are definitely books within the Thriller genre that will leave you saying "Wow". "Don't Turn Around" was not that book for me.

[Serena Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first novel of Amanda's and it did not disappoint! I have to say the novel both equally thrilled me with the twists and turns and equally annoyed me as the MC in the book does my actual job in real life.
The novel is packed full of emotion and there is a constant ghost of Meg lingering between the pages and a constant sense of longing throughout. I did not see the truth coming which is a huge thing I find for psychological thrillers but none of the content shocked me or moved me which is solely down to the fact that I'm used to listening to victims of abuse and after 4 years nothing much would shock me (it's that bad).
I loved all the characters and they were all fully developed and fleshed out, I KNEW one character wasn't as golden as he was made out to be - maybe it's my detective skills of identifying the perps seeping into the reading haha! I really enjoyed the novel but the only thing that annoyed me was how they handled the confidential data of the people calling in. Obviously, this is fiction and I'd like to stress that under no circumstances would we track down someone who did not want to be tracked down or confronted. That was my major annoyance with this - it's such a breach and there is one clear moment when they telling someone the identity of a DOMESTIC VIOLENCE victim to someone else which creates so much risk I almost put the book down. The other thing that I found a little odd was their complete lack of safeguarding when they explained their level of interaction with a caller. Generally, they would safeguard anyone in immediate danger to themselves or from others. I only know of 1 charity that doesn't do this.

Nevertheless, I have taken the real-life tweaks with a pinch of salt and I know this is a work of fiction and for that alone I gave the novel 5 stars. So compelling and explores the dark themes beautifully, albeit dangerously for the actual victims. A major unseen twist at the end and I have taken to using this novel as a new comparison title for my own work in progress. Thoroughly enjoyable regardless of my day job and would recommend to anyone who loves a thriller.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

She died.

You’re next.

Now he’s coming for you.

Ten years ago, Jen’s cousin Meg killed herself after failing to escape an abusive relationship.
Now, Meg’s ex is back and Jen’s domestic abuse helpline has started getting frightening calls from a girl who knows things about Meg – details that only the dead girl or the man who hurt her could have known…

As Jen starts to uncover the past, someone is determined to stop her. Can she save this young woman from Meg’s fate? Or is history about to repeat itself?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.

The book’s description drew me in and touches on the difficult topics of suicide and abuse but unfortunately, after reading the book, I was left very disappointed.

I found the pace of the book excruciatingly slow and, at times, I could have easily skipped some of the chapters just to move on as I felt it was repetitive but didn't just in case I happened to miss a crucial part of the story. Thankfully, around ¾ of the way through the pace started to quicken and I began to enjoy the story more as there were a few twists and turns that started to emerge – just a shame it had to take so long and I guessed what was going to happen at the end.

The story is told through Ruth (Meg’s mum) and Jen (Meg’s cousin) which is good in principle but unfortunately I struggled throughout trying to remember whose turn it was telling the story as the writing was always set at the same tone.

A really great idea for a story but it was a shame about the way it was written. I'd give it 3.5 stars.