What do you think?
Rate this book
Her One Mistake
What should have been a fun-filled, carefree day takes a tragic turn for the worse for one mother when her best friend’s child goes missing in this “seriously page-turning” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author), suspenseful, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.
Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. But while her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, Alice, her best friend Harriet’s daughter, is nowhere to be found. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing—and admit that she’s solely to blame.
Harriet, devastated by this unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Now, more isolated than ever and struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet believes nothing and no one. But as the police bear down on both women, trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface—and Harriet discovers that trusting Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter....
This breathless and fast-paced novel—perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Couple Next Door —takes you on a chilling journey that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. But while her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, Alice, her best friend Harriet’s daughter, is nowhere to be found. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing—and admit that she’s solely to blame.
Harriet, devastated by this unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Now, more isolated than ever and struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet believes nothing and no one. But as the police bear down on both women, trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface—and Harriet discovers that trusting Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter....
This breathless and fast-paced novel—perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Couple Next Door —takes you on a chilling journey that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2018
2966 people are currently reading
54031 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Perks
16 books1,432 followersHeidi Perks lives on the south coast, spending her time writing by the sea. She gets all her inspiration for her books from the beautiful towns on the coast, imagining dark things happening in the most prettiest of places. Apart from one all her books are set along the south of England.
Heidi's seventh books, SOMEONE IS LYING is out March 2025. Her other six books include three Sunday Times bestsellers, Now You See Her, Come Back For Me and The Whispers, and two Richard and Judy picks including The Last Resort.
She is currently writing book eight which will be out in 2026.
Heidi's seventh books, SOMEONE IS LYING is out March 2025. Her other six books include three Sunday Times bestsellers, Now You See Her, Come Back For Me and The Whispers, and two Richard and Judy picks including The Last Resort.
She is currently writing book eight which will be out in 2026.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,456 reviews
December 19, 2024
Riveting, thought-provoking & affecting!
This was quite the emotional psychological thriller that immediately drew me in and had me totally glued to those pages for the entirety of reading this book. The storyline is one that I seem to be always drawn to and where this book deals with every parent’s worst nightmare, a missing child there is a nice twist to this one that definitely made this a different reading experience for me. The angst and devastation that you feel for these characters along with the pacing and short chapters made this an extremely palpable, fast and unputdownable read.
HER ONE MISTAKE by HEIDI PERKS is a compelling, chilling, suspenseful, and a compulsive read that was an easy book to escape into that didn’t have too much darkness to it. The intensity level of this book gradually builds as the story progresses and there is also this subtle undertone of unease that makes you question what you are reading.
HEIDI PERKS delivers a character-driven, intriguing and well-written read here with complex and realistic characters, a uniquely written premise and an enthralling storyline. The story is told from dual perspectives between Charlotte and Harriet in an alternating timeline of “Now” and “Before” the disappearance of Alice with excerpts from Harriet’s diary. I thoroughly enjoyed the format of this story and both perspectives and timelines equally. I’m a total sucker when an author chooses to add in different writing devices to spice up the story so the diary excerpts definitely added a little extra excitement to the story for me.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Worrisome, suspenseful and a fitting representation to storyline. Although I thought maybe the stuffed animal should have been a different character as was mentioned in the book a few times. Hmmm…..maybe I missed something? (Update: My ARC had a different cover than what was actually released.)
Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and absolutely love how the title plays so fittingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging, captivating, and fluid. I thoroughly enjoyed this author’s writing style!
Plot: Unique, thought-provoking, suspenseful, gripping, perfectly-paced, absorbing, enjoyable and extremely entertaining. I found this storyline to be quite refreshing!
Ending: An absolutely perfect and plausible resolution that I was extremely satisfied with.
Overall: An excellent read that had me totally entertained and engrossed from start to finish! Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada and Heidi Perks for gifting me a physical advance uncorrected proof to read. I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience!
This was quite the emotional psychological thriller that immediately drew me in and had me totally glued to those pages for the entirety of reading this book. The storyline is one that I seem to be always drawn to and where this book deals with every parent’s worst nightmare, a missing child there is a nice twist to this one that definitely made this a different reading experience for me. The angst and devastation that you feel for these characters along with the pacing and short chapters made this an extremely palpable, fast and unputdownable read.
HER ONE MISTAKE by HEIDI PERKS is a compelling, chilling, suspenseful, and a compulsive read that was an easy book to escape into that didn’t have too much darkness to it. The intensity level of this book gradually builds as the story progresses and there is also this subtle undertone of unease that makes you question what you are reading.
HEIDI PERKS delivers a character-driven, intriguing and well-written read here with complex and realistic characters, a uniquely written premise and an enthralling storyline. The story is told from dual perspectives between Charlotte and Harriet in an alternating timeline of “Now” and “Before” the disappearance of Alice with excerpts from Harriet’s diary. I thoroughly enjoyed the format of this story and both perspectives and timelines equally. I’m a total sucker when an author chooses to add in different writing devices to spice up the story so the diary excerpts definitely added a little extra excitement to the story for me.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Worrisome, suspenseful and a fitting representation to storyline. Although I thought maybe the stuffed animal should have been a different character as was mentioned in the book a few times. Hmmm…..maybe I missed something? (Update: My ARC had a different cover than what was actually released.)
Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and absolutely love how the title plays so fittingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging, captivating, and fluid. I thoroughly enjoyed this author’s writing style!
Plot: Unique, thought-provoking, suspenseful, gripping, perfectly-paced, absorbing, enjoyable and extremely entertaining. I found this storyline to be quite refreshing!
Ending: An absolutely perfect and plausible resolution that I was extremely satisfied with.
Overall: An excellent read that had me totally entertained and engrossed from start to finish! Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada and Heidi Perks for gifting me a physical advance uncorrected proof to read. I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience!
January 8, 2025
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest |
In a world full of psychological thrillers about missing girls, this is probably the only one that stands out on its own and reigns them all!
What would you do if you leave your kid with your friend, and she suddenly lost it? How would you react if they told you she was on her phone throughout that time? Your friend has many secrets, but hey - SO DO YOU!
While we have the overrated stories of how a girl goes missing, everyone involved is hiding something, things get intense, and in one moment we find it all out - here Heidi Perks did an extremely great job to spice things up and make this book one of a kind. She blended all these things together so well, that I couldn’t put the book down with intense moments happening on every single page.
The characters were very well formed - I could connect so easily to every single one of them. I loved their backgrounds and the little Easter eggs hidden through that only made sense in the end - PRECIOUS!
The story plot was so cleverly put together, and I greatly enjoyed it! A nice, fast-paced, psychological thriller that will give you the chills constantly, make you start biting your nails again, scroll through the next chapters and forget about your sleep until you’ve finished it!.
Big - intense five-stars from me, and definitely one of the best intense stories I have read in 2018!!!
A big thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
In a world full of psychological thrillers about missing girls, this is probably the only one that stands out on its own and reigns them all!
What would you do if you leave your kid with your friend, and she suddenly lost it? How would you react if they told you she was on her phone throughout that time? Your friend has many secrets, but hey - SO DO YOU!
While we have the overrated stories of how a girl goes missing, everyone involved is hiding something, things get intense, and in one moment we find it all out - here Heidi Perks did an extremely great job to spice things up and make this book one of a kind. She blended all these things together so well, that I couldn’t put the book down with intense moments happening on every single page.
The characters were very well formed - I could connect so easily to every single one of them. I loved their backgrounds and the little Easter eggs hidden through that only made sense in the end - PRECIOUS!
The story plot was so cleverly put together, and I greatly enjoyed it! A nice, fast-paced, psychological thriller that will give you the chills constantly, make you start biting your nails again, scroll through the next chapters and forget about your sleep until you’ve finished it!.
Big - intense five-stars from me, and definitely one of the best intense stories I have read in 2018!!!
A big thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 3, 2019
I grew up always knowing that my mother would sacrifice her life, if necessary, for mine. She would step in front of the bus or lay down on a set of railroad tracks for me. She taught me that there is no greater bond and love you can have than that of a mother and child.
Now imagine your worst nightmare as a parent, your child goes missing.
Heidi Perks psychological thriller, Her One Mistake, is a chillingly, fast-paced mystery that will have you wondering where you missed that sign or clue several times throughout the book.
Four year old Alice is the only child of young mother, Harriet, and her husband Brian. She has never been out of her mothers sight since the day she was born. Harriet decides to let her best friend, Charlotte, take Alice to the school fair along with Charlotte's three children for a day of fun. What should have been a day filled with laughter, bellies full of too much sugar and children falling asleep on the way home, turns into Harriet's worst nightmares as Alice goes missing during Charlotte's watch.
The story is told alternately from Harriett and Charlotte's point of view as well as before and after the event. We learn that not everything is as it seems on the surface with twists and turns at every corner. Her One Mistake is gripping, suspenseful, thought-provoking, entertaining, disturbing and an engrossing read that at the end will leave you wondering what she thought her one mistake was.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #NetGalley #HerOneMistake
Now imagine your worst nightmare as a parent, your child goes missing.
Heidi Perks psychological thriller, Her One Mistake, is a chillingly, fast-paced mystery that will have you wondering where you missed that sign or clue several times throughout the book.
Four year old Alice is the only child of young mother, Harriet, and her husband Brian. She has never been out of her mothers sight since the day she was born. Harriet decides to let her best friend, Charlotte, take Alice to the school fair along with Charlotte's three children for a day of fun. What should have been a day filled with laughter, bellies full of too much sugar and children falling asleep on the way home, turns into Harriet's worst nightmares as Alice goes missing during Charlotte's watch.
The story is told alternately from Harriett and Charlotte's point of view as well as before and after the event. We learn that not everything is as it seems on the surface with twists and turns at every corner. Her One Mistake is gripping, suspenseful, thought-provoking, entertaining, disturbing and an engrossing read that at the end will leave you wondering what she thought her one mistake was.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #NetGalley #HerOneMistake
November 7, 2019
Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is a 2019 Gallery Books publication.
Exceedingly good psychological thriller!
Charlotte has taken her children, along with her friend Harriet’s young daughter, Alice, to the park. While the children are playing, she looks down at her phone, checks on her social media, then looks back up to find that Alice is missing. Frantically, she searches for her friend's daughter- but to no avail. Instantly, the popular Charlotte loses her standing in the community, having lost a child entrusted to her care, while Harriet’s husband, Brian, outright blames Charlotte for his daughter’s disappearance.
Meanwhile, Harriet is living a double nightmare. Her child is gone, and her marriage and state of mind is more fragile than ever.
While Charlotte is the last person Harriet wants to see or talk to, she may the only one who can help Harriet get her daughter back.
After taking a year off from reading psychological thrillers, with just a few select exceptions, I decided to go back and look through the mountain of books I had listed in this genre and pick out a few I thought might be worth taking a second look at. This book sounded a little different, so I plucked it out the massive pile, and I’m so glad I did!!
This story is very suspenseful, told in a dual narrative format, giving the reader a chance to hear the story from both Harriet and Charlotte’s perspectives. Naturally, one must decipher if the narrators can be trusted or not.
The suspense builds slowly, as a picture begins to develop that is startling and disturbing. Looking back on it, I see areas where I should have questioned things, but it didn’t occur to me at the time.
The twists are well-timed, but quiet, subtle, clever and understated, which was very effective.
But, for me it was the fallout that really gave me pause. I can’t say too much, but I’m still mulling everything over in my mind. I must say that for a psychological thriller, this is really a thought-provoking story. There was a lot to digest but, overall, as controversial as the conclusion may be, it does pack a punch. The path forward still left me with a feeling of unease, but also with a sense of fragile peace and hope.
Overall, if you are looking for a well-executed and unsettling psychological thriller, give this one a try.
4 stars
Exceedingly good psychological thriller!
Charlotte has taken her children, along with her friend Harriet’s young daughter, Alice, to the park. While the children are playing, she looks down at her phone, checks on her social media, then looks back up to find that Alice is missing. Frantically, she searches for her friend's daughter- but to no avail. Instantly, the popular Charlotte loses her standing in the community, having lost a child entrusted to her care, while Harriet’s husband, Brian, outright blames Charlotte for his daughter’s disappearance.
Meanwhile, Harriet is living a double nightmare. Her child is gone, and her marriage and state of mind is more fragile than ever.
While Charlotte is the last person Harriet wants to see or talk to, she may the only one who can help Harriet get her daughter back.
After taking a year off from reading psychological thrillers, with just a few select exceptions, I decided to go back and look through the mountain of books I had listed in this genre and pick out a few I thought might be worth taking a second look at. This book sounded a little different, so I plucked it out the massive pile, and I’m so glad I did!!
This story is very suspenseful, told in a dual narrative format, giving the reader a chance to hear the story from both Harriet and Charlotte’s perspectives. Naturally, one must decipher if the narrators can be trusted or not.
The suspense builds slowly, as a picture begins to develop that is startling and disturbing. Looking back on it, I see areas where I should have questioned things, but it didn’t occur to me at the time.
The twists are well-timed, but quiet, subtle, clever and understated, which was very effective.
But, for me it was the fallout that really gave me pause. I can’t say too much, but I’m still mulling everything over in my mind. I must say that for a psychological thriller, this is really a thought-provoking story. There was a lot to digest but, overall, as controversial as the conclusion may be, it does pack a punch. The path forward still left me with a feeling of unease, but also with a sense of fragile peace and hope.
Overall, if you are looking for a well-executed and unsettling psychological thriller, give this one a try.
4 stars
January 22, 2019
All it takes is the slightest breeze to change the trajectory of one's life. Moments acted upon and those missed opportunities viewed longingly from over the shoulder.
Charlotte seems to hover over chaos day in and day out. She's been separated from her husband, Tom, for two years. She's used to tuning out the wild stampede of her three children who demand her attention almost every hour of the day. Charlotte has become adept at running to the front door through landmines of disguarded toys.
No one would ever have thought that quiet, shy Harriet would befriend an erupting volcano like Charlotte. Harriet is so different from Charlotte's other friends and those friends have difficulty with including Harriet in their group. Harriet is a withdrawn mother of four year old Alice. She keeps her daughter safely tucked in her home with strict supervision. Charlotte always extends playdates which Harriet talks her way out of.
But today Harriet is asking a special favor of Charlotte. Harriet wishes to attend a bookkeeping class held at a local hotel for the day. Charlotte is delighted to have little Alice included in their trip to the school's fair. Harriet hugs her daughter goodbye. As readers, we feel the heaviness of something yet to come.
Charlotte watches as the little band of children enter the Jungle Run. She checks her phone as she waits for them to return. Her own brood comes running out the Exit, but there's no sign of Alice. In a panic, Charlotte crawls inside herself. No Alice. She runs wildly through the crowd calling for Alice. No response. The police are called and the search begins.......
Can you even imagine approaching your friend and telling her that her child is missing under your watch? The guilt must be mind-boggling. Harriet refuses any attempts by Charlotte. Charlotte is devastated.
But as readers, we will notice the thin light under the door of secrets. Something is not right here.
Heidi Perks creates a tension-filled storyline that doesn't give you time to breathe from the very onset. She packs it with emotions that the reader can readily relate to. Her characters will set your teeth on edge. If you're in a bit of a reading lull about now, Her One Mistake will definitely have you soaring through the pages. A ripping good one.
Charlotte seems to hover over chaos day in and day out. She's been separated from her husband, Tom, for two years. She's used to tuning out the wild stampede of her three children who demand her attention almost every hour of the day. Charlotte has become adept at running to the front door through landmines of disguarded toys.
No one would ever have thought that quiet, shy Harriet would befriend an erupting volcano like Charlotte. Harriet is so different from Charlotte's other friends and those friends have difficulty with including Harriet in their group. Harriet is a withdrawn mother of four year old Alice. She keeps her daughter safely tucked in her home with strict supervision. Charlotte always extends playdates which Harriet talks her way out of.
But today Harriet is asking a special favor of Charlotte. Harriet wishes to attend a bookkeeping class held at a local hotel for the day. Charlotte is delighted to have little Alice included in their trip to the school's fair. Harriet hugs her daughter goodbye. As readers, we feel the heaviness of something yet to come.
Charlotte watches as the little band of children enter the Jungle Run. She checks her phone as she waits for them to return. Her own brood comes running out the Exit, but there's no sign of Alice. In a panic, Charlotte crawls inside herself. No Alice. She runs wildly through the crowd calling for Alice. No response. The police are called and the search begins.......
Can you even imagine approaching your friend and telling her that her child is missing under your watch? The guilt must be mind-boggling. Harriet refuses any attempts by Charlotte. Charlotte is devastated.
But as readers, we will notice the thin light under the door of secrets. Something is not right here.
Heidi Perks creates a tension-filled storyline that doesn't give you time to breathe from the very onset. She packs it with emotions that the reader can readily relate to. Her characters will set your teeth on edge. If you're in a bit of a reading lull about now, Her One Mistake will definitely have you soaring through the pages. A ripping good one.
January 19, 2019
4 stars! A heart-pounding, fast-paced, jaw-dropping novel!
Every parents’ worst nightmare – your child goes missing. This is what happens to Harriet when her best friend takes her daughter, Alice, for a playdate. A fun day at the school fair ends in devastation when Charlotte cannot find Alice and has to notify the police. Harriet cannot face Charlotte after what has happened. Charlotte’s life is upended as she is demonized by society causing the walls of her, at once, large social circle to close in on her. What happened to four-year-old Alice?
This book had my heart pounding out of my chest. The story unfolds through Harriet and Charlotte’s perspectives and I felt completely heart-broken for both sides. I put myself in each of their shoes and found I couldn’t decide which was worse. The author, Heidi Perks, did a fantastic job drawing me right into the story from page one. The writing was excellent and perfectly paced. The perspective changes complimented one another smooth and effectively. I look forward to reading more from Heidi Perks!
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Heidi Perks for providing me with an ARC to read and review!
* Note: This novel is also listed under the title “Her One Mistake”*
Every parents’ worst nightmare – your child goes missing. This is what happens to Harriet when her best friend takes her daughter, Alice, for a playdate. A fun day at the school fair ends in devastation when Charlotte cannot find Alice and has to notify the police. Harriet cannot face Charlotte after what has happened. Charlotte’s life is upended as she is demonized by society causing the walls of her, at once, large social circle to close in on her. What happened to four-year-old Alice?
This book had my heart pounding out of my chest. The story unfolds through Harriet and Charlotte’s perspectives and I felt completely heart-broken for both sides. I put myself in each of their shoes and found I couldn’t decide which was worse. The author, Heidi Perks, did a fantastic job drawing me right into the story from page one. The writing was excellent and perfectly paced. The perspective changes complimented one another smooth and effectively. I look forward to reading more from Heidi Perks!
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Heidi Perks for providing me with an ARC to read and review!
* Note: This novel is also listed under the title “Her One Mistake”*
June 17, 2018
Now you see her - she's playing at the school fete with your own children. You pull out your phone, scroll through Facebook , and when you look up again - NOW YOU DON'T.
Charlotte is Harriet's only friend. Charlotte is divorced from Tom and has three children. Harriet is married to Brian and has a daughter called Alice. Harriet has never been separated from Alice since the day she was born. Harriet is taking a bookkeeping course and asks Charlotte to look after her. Charlotte takes Alice and her own three children to the summer fete where Alice goes missing after she has a shot on a jungle inflatable.
This story starts off very slowly. It's told in the present then it jumps back and forward to the past. It's also told from different points of view. The book is full is full of twist and turns. We keep finding out something new in either the characters or the plot. This is a tense but at times it can be an uncomfortable read. You will have to read this book to find out what happens. I could tell you but the I would only spoil it for you.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and the author Heidi Perks for my ARC in exchange for an honest review
Charlotte is Harriet's only friend. Charlotte is divorced from Tom and has three children. Harriet is married to Brian and has a daughter called Alice. Harriet has never been separated from Alice since the day she was born. Harriet is taking a bookkeeping course and asks Charlotte to look after her. Charlotte takes Alice and her own three children to the summer fete where Alice goes missing after she has a shot on a jungle inflatable.
This story starts off very slowly. It's told in the present then it jumps back and forward to the past. It's also told from different points of view. The book is full is full of twist and turns. We keep finding out something new in either the characters or the plot. This is a tense but at times it can be an uncomfortable read. You will have to read this book to find out what happens. I could tell you but the I would only spoil it for you.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and the author Heidi Perks for my ARC in exchange for an honest review
September 29, 2019
This was a well woven story with lots of intrigue.
I was a bit let down by the ending.
I had hoped for more with how well the rest of the book came together.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for granting my wish.
I was a bit let down by the ending.
I had hoped for more with how well the rest of the book came together.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for granting my wish.
January 26, 2020
Every Mom's Nightmare!
Charlotte and Harriet are moms and friends. Charlotte lives a comfortable life with three children and Harriet's life is not so comfortable and she only has one child named Alice and she never lets her little four year old out of her sight (never). There is a school fair that all the children are looking forward to but Harriet has somewhere she must be on that day, so she asks Charlotte to take Alice to the fair, who is only happy to oblige though Harriet seems very nervous about leaving Alice but Harriet trusts Charlotte and thinks she is a wonderful mother.
The children are very happy and excited to try everything at the fair and three of them go on the huge jungle bounce but only two come out. Where is Alice? Where did she go? How will she face Harriet?
This is only the beginning of a heartbreaking mystery that has so many twists and turns and tests of friendship among other friends and mothers and has Charlotte doubting herself as a mother especially when the police continue to question her about how she could lose Alice and not one of her own three children.
This was a very entertaining book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological mystery.
I want to thank Netgally and the publisher for this arc and will read more by this author.
I have given this book 4 mysterious 🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!!
Charlotte and Harriet are moms and friends. Charlotte lives a comfortable life with three children and Harriet's life is not so comfortable and she only has one child named Alice and she never lets her little four year old out of her sight (never). There is a school fair that all the children are looking forward to but Harriet has somewhere she must be on that day, so she asks Charlotte to take Alice to the fair, who is only happy to oblige though Harriet seems very nervous about leaving Alice but Harriet trusts Charlotte and thinks she is a wonderful mother.
The children are very happy and excited to try everything at the fair and three of them go on the huge jungle bounce but only two come out. Where is Alice? Where did she go? How will she face Harriet?
This is only the beginning of a heartbreaking mystery that has so many twists and turns and tests of friendship among other friends and mothers and has Charlotte doubting herself as a mother especially when the police continue to question her about how she could lose Alice and not one of her own three children.
This was a very entertaining book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological mystery.
I want to thank Netgally and the publisher for this arc and will read more by this author.
I have given this book 4 mysterious 🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!!
March 18, 2019
Charlotte Reynolds is taking her three young children to the school fair and has agree to let her friend Harriet Hodder’s 4-year old daughter, Alice, accompany them. This is the first time Harriet has left her daughter with anyone so this was a major event for the both of them. While the children were playing on an inflatable ride, Charlotte was keeping an eye on them from a short distance, briefly checking her phone messages and Facebook page. At some point she notices that Alice isn’t with her two oldest children anymore and has to eventually face the reality that the child is missing. It’s awful enough to lose track of your own child so imagine the anguish of losing someone else’s in your care.
This story clicked for me from the start, even though it’s more of a slowly developing one. It transitions between the present and the day Alice went missing using Charlotte’s and Harriett’s narratives. I loved this technique as it allowed me to really get to know both of these characters from their own points of view and each other’s. I felt the anguish of both women, while different for both, it was still palatable. It was difficult to not sort of judge Charlotte but what happened to her in the aftermath was reflective of our current societal environment with social media used as an outlet for others to weigh in anonymously. The damage wreaked is immeasurable no matter if the parties are innocent or don’t deserve to be judged.
Then this story takes a jaw-dropping turn that I never, ever saw coming. It shifts to a whole new set of suspense factors. Rarely am I caught this far off guard and I literally couldn’t stop listening. There were multiple narrators used and they were just excellent, completely inhabiting their characters’ personalities. I’m so happy I chose the audio format as I loved being told this story by experienced storytellers. I’m also glad I took a chance on a new-to-me author who has now increased her fan base and I’ll be checking out her backlist. 4.5 stars
(I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)
Posted on Blue Mood Café
This story clicked for me from the start, even though it’s more of a slowly developing one. It transitions between the present and the day Alice went missing using Charlotte’s and Harriett’s narratives. I loved this technique as it allowed me to really get to know both of these characters from their own points of view and each other’s. I felt the anguish of both women, while different for both, it was still palatable. It was difficult to not sort of judge Charlotte but what happened to her in the aftermath was reflective of our current societal environment with social media used as an outlet for others to weigh in anonymously. The damage wreaked is immeasurable no matter if the parties are innocent or don’t deserve to be judged.
Then this story takes a jaw-dropping turn that I never, ever saw coming. It shifts to a whole new set of suspense factors. Rarely am I caught this far off guard and I literally couldn’t stop listening. There were multiple narrators used and they were just excellent, completely inhabiting their characters’ personalities. I’m so happy I chose the audio format as I loved being told this story by experienced storytellers. I’m also glad I took a chance on a new-to-me author who has now increased her fan base and I’ll be checking out her backlist. 4.5 stars
(I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)
Posted on Blue Mood Café
November 12, 2018
Charlotte was more than happy to watch her friend Harriet's four year old daughter, the first time that Harriet had ever been away from her daughter more than a few hours. Charlotte, her three children, and Harriet's daughter Alice, had a fun day at a school fair to enjoy. But soon after arriving at the fair, Alice is missing and life changes forever for Charlotte and Harriet.
Charlotte is criticized for losing sight of a child that is not hers and even for using her phone to post on Facebook around the time Alice went missing. Harriet had never been away from her child before, afraid that something could happen to he,r and her husband Brian can't believe she left her child with someone. The only friend that Harriet has is Charlotte and now that friendship is irreparably damaged.
There are so many twists and turns in this story and I certainly didn't have it figured out until the story allowed us to know what happened. Harriet's husband is obviously a manipulative, sick person who calls her "love" but really harbors unhealthy feelings toward her. Charlotte has lots of friends and plenty of money but enjoyed spending time with Harriet, who doesn't fit in with the rest of Charlotte's friends, because she feels like she can tell Harriet her thoughts and feelings without Harriet judging her or taking her ex-husband's side of things. Strangely, Harriet shares very little of real importance about her life, which allows the friendship between the women to be off-balance, without Charlotte realizing it, until this fact is pointed out by law enforcement during questioning, after the disappearance of Alice.
The story is told in alternate times of Before and Now and from the point of view of Harriet and Charlotte. This is a very enjoyable, psychological thriller, that kept surprises coming throughout the book, until the end. It really says a lot about how blame, including unfounded blame, can destroy a person's sense of well being and how friendships can be ruined by lies and omissions.
Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley for this Advance Read Copy.
Charlotte is criticized for losing sight of a child that is not hers and even for using her phone to post on Facebook around the time Alice went missing. Harriet had never been away from her child before, afraid that something could happen to he,r and her husband Brian can't believe she left her child with someone. The only friend that Harriet has is Charlotte and now that friendship is irreparably damaged.
There are so many twists and turns in this story and I certainly didn't have it figured out until the story allowed us to know what happened. Harriet's husband is obviously a manipulative, sick person who calls her "love" but really harbors unhealthy feelings toward her. Charlotte has lots of friends and plenty of money but enjoyed spending time with Harriet, who doesn't fit in with the rest of Charlotte's friends, because she feels like she can tell Harriet her thoughts and feelings without Harriet judging her or taking her ex-husband's side of things. Strangely, Harriet shares very little of real importance about her life, which allows the friendship between the women to be off-balance, without Charlotte realizing it, until this fact is pointed out by law enforcement during questioning, after the disappearance of Alice.
The story is told in alternate times of Before and Now and from the point of view of Harriet and Charlotte. This is a very enjoyable, psychological thriller, that kept surprises coming throughout the book, until the end. It really says a lot about how blame, including unfounded blame, can destroy a person's sense of well being and how friendships can be ruined by lies and omissions.
Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley for this Advance Read Copy.
October 30, 2018
Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is an emotional thriller that will definitely take you on a ride.
Of course what I do love about thrillers is that it's always darkness that will unfold at the seams once you begin the story. Heidi lays the groundwork nicely for her readers and has a nice little twist in this one that will keep you reading.
Harriet has never been separated from her four year old daughter Alice since she gave birth to her. One day Harriet's best friend Charlotte offers to take Alice to the fair along with her three other children. Charlotte takes all four children to the fair and they begin to play. The children decide to go on a ride... and shortly after Charlotte sees her own children return but there is no sign of Alice. Charlotte is devastated as you can imagine that she lost her best friend's daughter. Talk about guilt... WOW.
I think I felt for Charlotte the most because she had to deal with the aftermath of being shunned by the entire town and the stigma associated with loosing someone else's daughter.
Of course... nothing is what is appears to be in this story. Harriet is devastated trying to find her daughter... also is dealing with the blaming of her husband Brian.
The story was pretty slow to build for me and was pretty bored on and off throughout the entire story. But, a twist happens about 50 percent in and I wasn't expecting that.
But, the story STILL was dragging for me. And.. the ending seemed to be rushed to me... I'm not sure where the author was going at the final end? Honestly in the last chapter... I was holding on to a final grasp of a twist... and it just ended?
I wouldn't categorize this as a dark thriller... at all? Maybe... more of a domestic emotional story.
Overall, this was a decent story and was entertained. I look forward to seeing what Perks comes up with next :).
3.5 stars rounded down on this one.
Huge thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Publishing for the advanced arc in exchange for my honest review.
Published to GR: 10/30/18
Publication date: 1/8/19
Of course what I do love about thrillers is that it's always darkness that will unfold at the seams once you begin the story. Heidi lays the groundwork nicely for her readers and has a nice little twist in this one that will keep you reading.
Harriet has never been separated from her four year old daughter Alice since she gave birth to her. One day Harriet's best friend Charlotte offers to take Alice to the fair along with her three other children. Charlotte takes all four children to the fair and they begin to play. The children decide to go on a ride... and shortly after Charlotte sees her own children return but there is no sign of Alice. Charlotte is devastated as you can imagine that she lost her best friend's daughter. Talk about guilt... WOW.
I think I felt for Charlotte the most because she had to deal with the aftermath of being shunned by the entire town and the stigma associated with loosing someone else's daughter.
Of course... nothing is what is appears to be in this story. Harriet is devastated trying to find her daughter... also is dealing with the blaming of her husband Brian.
The story was pretty slow to build for me and was pretty bored on and off throughout the entire story. But, a twist happens about 50 percent in and I wasn't expecting that.
But, the story STILL was dragging for me. And.. the ending seemed to be rushed to me... I'm not sure where the author was going at the final end? Honestly in the last chapter... I was holding on to a final grasp of a twist... and it just ended?
I wouldn't categorize this as a dark thriller... at all? Maybe... more of a domestic emotional story.
Overall, this was a decent story and was entertained. I look forward to seeing what Perks comes up with next :).
3.5 stars rounded down on this one.
Huge thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Publishing for the advanced arc in exchange for my honest review.
Published to GR: 10/30/18
Publication date: 1/8/19
October 27, 2018
Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is a gripping thriller that covers every parents worse nightmare, a child gone in the blink of an eye. The author has given this a bit of a twist though with it being a friend taking care of the little girl when she goes missing.
Harriet had never been separated from her four year old daughter Alice since she had been born. Other mothers use babysitters, friends or family quite often to get even a small break but Harriet was a stay at home mother who hadn’t trusted anyone with her precious daughter until now.
Charlotte is Harriet’s best friend and about as opposite as can be. With three children of her own Charlotte volunteers to take Alice with them to the school fair so Harriet can take a class that afternoon. With four kids in tow Charlotte heads to the fair where the children begin to play but when her own children return from a ride without Alice Charlotte is devastated when there is no sign of the child.
Her One Mistake is one of those books that really was thought provoking. We are a society of placing blame on victims and as much as anyone disagrees with Charlotte’s actions in the beginning of this she is still a victim having to live with what happened. And then there’s Harriet who your heart can’t help but break for as the emotional side of the book begins to stand out. But of course as with any good thriller there are plenty of twists and turns to keep a reader guessing until the last page. Definitely one that kept me on the edge of my seat and would recommend.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Harriet had never been separated from her four year old daughter Alice since she had been born. Other mothers use babysitters, friends or family quite often to get even a small break but Harriet was a stay at home mother who hadn’t trusted anyone with her precious daughter until now.
Charlotte is Harriet’s best friend and about as opposite as can be. With three children of her own Charlotte volunteers to take Alice with them to the school fair so Harriet can take a class that afternoon. With four kids in tow Charlotte heads to the fair where the children begin to play but when her own children return from a ride without Alice Charlotte is devastated when there is no sign of the child.
Her One Mistake is one of those books that really was thought provoking. We are a society of placing blame on victims and as much as anyone disagrees with Charlotte’s actions in the beginning of this she is still a victim having to live with what happened. And then there’s Harriet who your heart can’t help but break for as the emotional side of the book begins to stand out. But of course as with any good thriller there are plenty of twists and turns to keep a reader guessing until the last page. Definitely one that kept me on the edge of my seat and would recommend.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
July 25, 2018
Sophisticated, riveting, and chillingly plausible!
Now You See Her is a highly suspenseful, character-driven thriller that delves into the psychological and emotional devastation caused by a missing child and the resulting finger-pointing, fragility and dynamics between friends, family members, investigators, and the community at large.
The writing is clear and precise. The characters are complex, secretive, and troubled. And the plot told from dual point of views and alternating timelines, before-and-after the incident, ratchets up the intrigue and tension quickly as it twists, turns, and unravels all the motivations, actions, personalities, and relationships within it.
Now You See Her at its core is a novel about family, friendship, fear, secrets, manipulation, negligence, abuse, kidnapping, and murder. It's a gripping, uniquely written tale that highlights everything is not always as it seems and is a real page-turner you won't want to miss.
Thank you to Penguin Random House UK - Arrow Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
Now You See Her is a highly suspenseful, character-driven thriller that delves into the psychological and emotional devastation caused by a missing child and the resulting finger-pointing, fragility and dynamics between friends, family members, investigators, and the community at large.
The writing is clear and precise. The characters are complex, secretive, and troubled. And the plot told from dual point of views and alternating timelines, before-and-after the incident, ratchets up the intrigue and tension quickly as it twists, turns, and unravels all the motivations, actions, personalities, and relationships within it.
Now You See Her at its core is a novel about family, friendship, fear, secrets, manipulation, negligence, abuse, kidnapping, and murder. It's a gripping, uniquely written tale that highlights everything is not always as it seems and is a real page-turner you won't want to miss.
Thank you to Penguin Random House UK - Arrow Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
December 2, 2018
Emotionally Charged Psychological Suspense that had me riveted!
Fictional, domestic crime thrillers featuring missing children are flying off the shelves right now, and having read my fair share, I can honestly say that Now You See Her is among the best ones I’ve read. My second-to-top pick for this year, only beaten by Mark Edwards, The Retreat.
Mother of three, Charlotte, takes her kids (all under ten) to the school fete. Accompanying them is four year-old Alice, daughter of Charlotte’s close friend Harriet. When the children go on an inflatable Jungle Gym obstacle course, to Charlotte’s horror, Alice never emerges from the ride. After a thorough search of the park, Alice is nowhere to be found. How can Charlotte possibly tell Harriet that she’s lost her daughter?
Now You See Her hooked me in right away, and I couldn’t put it down, as I rushed through the pages desperate to discover the fate of Alice. The emotions, dialogue, and characters reactions to the situation they were in, was accurately and realistically conveyed. Heidi Perks excelled at writing and capturing the close knit bond that exists between parent and child, and how far a parent would go to protect their child, as well as testing the loyalty and bounds of friendship. The first half was a slow burn, an exploration into Charlotte and Harriet’s lives, using the Before and Now timeline format. The last half was highly tense, littered with secrets, lies, betrayals, and unexpected surprises, that had me holding my breath.
There are topics of a sensitive nature, but I would still class it as on the lighter side when compared to some books in the domestic noir vein. This is one that spills over into contemporary/women’s fiction, with minimal violence, but still has enough psychological suspense to satisfy die hard crime/mystery fans like me. Highly recommend!
Note: Also published under the title ‘Her One Mistake’.
Fictional, domestic crime thrillers featuring missing children are flying off the shelves right now, and having read my fair share, I can honestly say that Now You See Her is among the best ones I’ve read. My second-to-top pick for this year, only beaten by Mark Edwards, The Retreat.
Mother of three, Charlotte, takes her kids (all under ten) to the school fete. Accompanying them is four year-old Alice, daughter of Charlotte’s close friend Harriet. When the children go on an inflatable Jungle Gym obstacle course, to Charlotte’s horror, Alice never emerges from the ride. After a thorough search of the park, Alice is nowhere to be found. How can Charlotte possibly tell Harriet that she’s lost her daughter?
Now You See Her hooked me in right away, and I couldn’t put it down, as I rushed through the pages desperate to discover the fate of Alice. The emotions, dialogue, and characters reactions to the situation they were in, was accurately and realistically conveyed. Heidi Perks excelled at writing and capturing the close knit bond that exists between parent and child, and how far a parent would go to protect their child, as well as testing the loyalty and bounds of friendship. The first half was a slow burn, an exploration into Charlotte and Harriet’s lives, using the Before and Now timeline format. The last half was highly tense, littered with secrets, lies, betrayals, and unexpected surprises, that had me holding my breath.
There are topics of a sensitive nature, but I would still class it as on the lighter side when compared to some books in the domestic noir vein. This is one that spills over into contemporary/women’s fiction, with minimal violence, but still has enough psychological suspense to satisfy die hard crime/mystery fans like me. Highly recommend!
Note: Also published under the title ‘Her One Mistake’.
August 9, 2019
GOSH THIS WAS GOOD!
This book is the very definition of a suspense thriller. Heart-stopping, emotional, nerve-wracking, every mother's worst nightmare, every friend's worst nightmare.
This was amazingly well-written and PERFECTLY paced, which is HARD to do. It never dragged, and I was never bored.... just really frustrated when I had to put it down to keep from completely neglecting my responsibilities as an adult. 😄
Charlotte is watching her best friend's daughter, Alice, for the day as a favor. She takes her to the school fete, along with her own three children, for a carefree day of fun. The fete is packed with families, children everywhere, games, rides, delicious sweets. It's going to be a great day.
But then....
One moment, Charlotte has all of the children in her sight, but the next... she doesn't.
One child is missing.
Oh my God.
But what's worse???? The one who's missing is Alice, her best friend's child. OH. MY. GOD.
After thoroughly searching for Alice, Charlotte realizes with heart-stopping dread that Alice is not merely lost... she's GONE. And now the police have to be called. Her friend will hate her. Charlotte hates herself.
This day went from a fun and carefree outing to a complete and total nightmare. Can you IMAGINE!!??
If you're looking for a truly great suspense thriller with an incomparable emotional ride, do yourself a favor and read this book.
'Now you See Her' is being re-released under the new title of 'Her One Mistake' in January 2019.
This book is the very definition of a suspense thriller. Heart-stopping, emotional, nerve-wracking, every mother's worst nightmare, every friend's worst nightmare.
This was amazingly well-written and PERFECTLY paced, which is HARD to do. It never dragged, and I was never bored.... just really frustrated when I had to put it down to keep from completely neglecting my responsibilities as an adult. 😄
Charlotte is watching her best friend's daughter, Alice, for the day as a favor. She takes her to the school fete, along with her own three children, for a carefree day of fun. The fete is packed with families, children everywhere, games, rides, delicious sweets. It's going to be a great day.
But then....
One moment, Charlotte has all of the children in her sight, but the next... she doesn't.
One child is missing.
Oh my God.
But what's worse???? The one who's missing is Alice, her best friend's child. OH. MY. GOD.
After thoroughly searching for Alice, Charlotte realizes with heart-stopping dread that Alice is not merely lost... she's GONE. And now the police have to be called. Her friend will hate her. Charlotte hates herself.
This day went from a fun and carefree outing to a complete and total nightmare. Can you IMAGINE!!??
If you're looking for a truly great suspense thriller with an incomparable emotional ride, do yourself a favor and read this book.
'Now you See Her' is being re-released under the new title of 'Her One Mistake' in January 2019.
February 25, 2020
Another book from my “busting my backlist” shelf.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it hD eerie feels, chills and intrigued me.
There are so many “missing children’s” books that they can all merge into boredom don’t you think?
Well this one had that little ‘something’ extra for me.
It’s a slow plodder at the beginning so don’t expect it to be fast paced but then suddenly......boom....right between the readers eyes, what! WHAT?
I enjoyed it
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it hD eerie feels, chills and intrigued me.
There are so many “missing children’s” books that they can all merge into boredom don’t you think?
Well this one had that little ‘something’ extra for me.
It’s a slow plodder at the beginning so don’t expect it to be fast paced but then suddenly......boom....right between the readers eyes, what! WHAT?
I enjoyed it
January 28, 2019
I really enjoyed this book that had a little bit of a different twist than other psychological-thrillers.
Harriet and Charlotte are best friends who bond over their children. Harriet is a bit of a recluse and married mother of a three year old child named Alice. Charlotte is a busy, newly single mom of three who's a bit of a scatter brain. Charlotte encourages Harriet to do something for herself as she is always with Alice. Harriet decides to take a course in bookkeeping to better her family but has never left Alice in the care of anyone other than herself. She decides now is the time she can leave Alice with her best friend Charlotte for the day. Charlotte decides to take her three children and Alice to the school fair. It is here that Alice suddenly goes missing. She practically vanishes into thin air. No one has seen anything. So the story goes from there. What happened to Alice? Was Charlotte at fault? What will Harriet and her husband do? Who took the girl?
This was a very well written book. I enjoyed Heidi Perks style of writing. She kept me on my toes and wondering throughout the story. This was an emotional and suspenseful family drama that I would highly recommend for any psychological thriller fan.
Thank-you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for granting me the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy.
Harriet and Charlotte are best friends who bond over their children. Harriet is a bit of a recluse and married mother of a three year old child named Alice. Charlotte is a busy, newly single mom of three who's a bit of a scatter brain. Charlotte encourages Harriet to do something for herself as she is always with Alice. Harriet decides to take a course in bookkeeping to better her family but has never left Alice in the care of anyone other than herself. She decides now is the time she can leave Alice with her best friend Charlotte for the day. Charlotte decides to take her three children and Alice to the school fair. It is here that Alice suddenly goes missing. She practically vanishes into thin air. No one has seen anything. So the story goes from there. What happened to Alice? Was Charlotte at fault? What will Harriet and her husband do? Who took the girl?
This was a very well written book. I enjoyed Heidi Perks style of writing. She kept me on my toes and wondering throughout the story. This was an emotional and suspenseful family drama that I would highly recommend for any psychological thriller fan.
Thank-you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for granting me the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy.
September 5, 2019
I guess I'm in the minority, but I am unimpressed with this book. Lackluster suspense with "twists" you could see coming a mile away. It dragged on and on when I just wanted it to be over.
June 25, 2018
Under the guise of a standard missing child scenario Now You See Her eventually gravitates to a central question of just what lengths a mother has the right to go to in order to protect her child and what constitutes forgivable behaviour between female friends. How far can a person ever expect to rely on, or ask of their friends and when does a person’s actions move from justifiable to inexcusable? Sadly, the resulting story proves neither compelling or believable and its conclusions are underwhelming.
Now You See Her is an ill-conceived psychological thriller which crosses the all too familiar missing child scenario with a host of other issues and manages to make a convincing job of exactly none of them in an overlong and highly predictable affair. Glaring factual inaccuracies and loose strands of the plot are left unaddressed which only serves to further frustrate with the intended crux of Perk’s storyline finally rearing its head woefully late with just a quarter of the novel, and a good dose of melodrama, left. The nonsensical quote below which left me bemused should tell potential readers all they need to know about the value of the novels contents and the quality of writing:
The narrative is comprised of snapshots from ‘before’ and ‘after’ the event with the ‘now’ strand written in the first-person and the ‘before’ and ‘during’ perspective told in an oddly clinical third-person style which feels strangely detached and as such I found it proved difficult to connect with the drama. Given that the writing is also rather flabby with a tendency to ramble it is far short of grip-lit! Pretty soon the thrust of the plot changes as Perks focuses on how Harriet and her controlling husband, Brian, come to terms with the situation. As the police investigation goes into overdrive with a Family Liaison Officer (FLO) temporarily becoming resident in the Hodder household it becomes patently obvious that Brian is subjecting Harriet to coercive control and some very heavy-handed attempts at gaslighting. In just one of the police oversights, including failing to investigate either Brian or Harriet or verify their answers to questions, the FLO fails to pick up the very obvious signs.
The story concentrates on exploring the two women’s unlikely friendship, the level of trust between them and the confidences they shared with it becoming apparent that Harriet shared little and acted primarily as a sounding board for Charlotte’s problems. Harriet’s past history, childhood and marriage is also aired with it becoming evident that both she and Brian and harbouring secrets. At the halfway point things do threaten to get interesting with a well signposted twist and dramatic climax eventually forthcoming. Much of the story gave me cause for concern from the lack of justification for Harriet’s actions over the years to the police response never really ringing true and the plot becoming increasingly far-fetched. Bizarrely when Harriet does admit to her husband’s abuse, the Dorsetshire police still seem intent on blaming Charlotte for missing the signs and suggest that she chose not to see what was going on behind closed doors, all of which is rather galling given the resident FLO proved blissfully ignorant!
At four-hundred pages the entire book is padded with unnecessary detail by at least one-hundred pages and a rigorous editing could have redirected this ‘filler’ to the more worthy cause of developing credible characters only one of whom, Charlotte, manages to convince and elicit genuine sympathy. The characterisation of Harriet is concerning, with her being clearly intelligent and having some experience of life pre-Brian and yet so easily subjugating herself to his demands and unfailingly accepting for the past eight years without ever seeking help. More so, their marriage is characterised by there being no consistency as to the illogical mix of freedoms that Brian permits given that he allows Harriet access to a car, smartphone and part-time employment but turns apoplectic when she broaches the idea of their socialising. As for Harriet, to expect understanding and forgiveness from her behaviour towards Charlotte is frankly delusional. All in all, a wholly disappointing read.
Now You See Her is an ill-conceived psychological thriller which crosses the all too familiar missing child scenario with a host of other issues and manages to make a convincing job of exactly none of them in an overlong and highly predictable affair. Glaring factual inaccuracies and loose strands of the plot are left unaddressed which only serves to further frustrate with the intended crux of Perk’s storyline finally rearing its head woefully late with just a quarter of the novel, and a good dose of melodrama, left. The nonsensical quote below which left me bemused should tell potential readers all they need to know about the value of the novels contents and the quality of writing:
“It would give him another reason to convince her she should have taken the medication she knew didn’t exist.”Set in the village of Chiddenford, Dorsetshire the story begins solidly enough with vivacious and confident mother of three, Charlotte Reynolds, taking her children and her close friend’s four-year-old daughter to the annual school fete. Charlotte is the epitome of a modern mother, permanently rushed off her feet and juggling a career with life as a single parent and overseeing her well-loved brood amidst her opulent home. In direct contrast is her thirty-nine-year-old friend, Harriet Hodder, who on appearances presents as the archetypical church mouse - submissive, meek and painfully shy. Reluctant to leave her daughter, Alice, is someone else’s care, Charlotte as Harriet’s only friend and her vision of a ‘perfect mother’ is entrusted on the first occasion that she does so. When Alice goes missing and Charlotte’s own children come to no harm she is squarely blamed for Alice’s disappearance, steadily ostracised by her circle of friends and publicly vilified for being a negligent mother. Furthermore, when it is revealed that Charlotte was posting on Facebook at the exact time of Alice’s disappearance she is plunged deeper into despair and guilt.
The narrative is comprised of snapshots from ‘before’ and ‘after’ the event with the ‘now’ strand written in the first-person and the ‘before’ and ‘during’ perspective told in an oddly clinical third-person style which feels strangely detached and as such I found it proved difficult to connect with the drama. Given that the writing is also rather flabby with a tendency to ramble it is far short of grip-lit! Pretty soon the thrust of the plot changes as Perks focuses on how Harriet and her controlling husband, Brian, come to terms with the situation. As the police investigation goes into overdrive with a Family Liaison Officer (FLO) temporarily becoming resident in the Hodder household it becomes patently obvious that Brian is subjecting Harriet to coercive control and some very heavy-handed attempts at gaslighting. In just one of the police oversights, including failing to investigate either Brian or Harriet or verify their answers to questions, the FLO fails to pick up the very obvious signs.
The story concentrates on exploring the two women’s unlikely friendship, the level of trust between them and the confidences they shared with it becoming apparent that Harriet shared little and acted primarily as a sounding board for Charlotte’s problems. Harriet’s past history, childhood and marriage is also aired with it becoming evident that both she and Brian and harbouring secrets. At the halfway point things do threaten to get interesting with a well signposted twist and dramatic climax eventually forthcoming. Much of the story gave me cause for concern from the lack of justification for Harriet’s actions over the years to the police response never really ringing true and the plot becoming increasingly far-fetched. Bizarrely when Harriet does admit to her husband’s abuse, the Dorsetshire police still seem intent on blaming Charlotte for missing the signs and suggest that she chose not to see what was going on behind closed doors, all of which is rather galling given the resident FLO proved blissfully ignorant!
At four-hundred pages the entire book is padded with unnecessary detail by at least one-hundred pages and a rigorous editing could have redirected this ‘filler’ to the more worthy cause of developing credible characters only one of whom, Charlotte, manages to convince and elicit genuine sympathy. The characterisation of Harriet is concerning, with her being clearly intelligent and having some experience of life pre-Brian and yet so easily subjugating herself to his demands and unfailingly accepting for the past eight years without ever seeking help. More so, their marriage is characterised by there being no consistency as to the illogical mix of freedoms that Brian permits given that he allows Harriet access to a car, smartphone and part-time employment but turns apoplectic when she broaches the idea of their socialising. As for Harriet, to expect understanding and forgiveness from her behaviour towards Charlotte is frankly delusional. All in all, a wholly disappointing read.
May 25, 2018
This absolutely brilliant thriller is the story of the unlikely friendship between two women.There's Charlotte,divorced mother of three children,lovely house,no money worries,popular and friends with many of the mother's who meet up everyday to have a good gossip in the school playground.Then there's Harriet,married to Brian,mother of four year old Alice,lives in a drab,depressing little house,has no friends and always seems nervous and on edge.Against the odds and to the utter astonishment of Charlotte`s other friends,Charlotte and Harriet strike up a close friendship,sharing secrets about their past and present lives.Then one hot summer's day,Charlotte takes her children and Alice to the school fete where the unthinkable happens, Charlotte gets distracted by her phone,she loses sight of the children and Alice vanishes,without a trace.During the ensuing police investigation it soon becomes clear that all is not what it seems.Both the women have secrets and will go to any lengths to keep them from being uncovered.
The chapters alternate between Chalotte and Harriet and flip back and forth between before and after Alice's disappearance,also included are extracts from Harriet`s diary.My feelings for either woman flipped back and forth between sympathy and feeling unsympathetic for various reasons as the story unfolded.There was another character who featured quite regularly who was a really nasty,evil,creepy individual.Everytime this character was in a scene,I had goosebumps on my arms and chills ran up and down my spine.The descriptions of the actions and behaviour of the characters where realistic as where the depictions of the treatment of Charlotte and Harriet by the media and people on the internet.
This is a well written,at times very intense,chilling tale of friendships,deceit,manipulation and secrets that had me hooked in from the very first page.I absolutely loved this riveting thriller and would definitely give it more than five stars if I could.I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Many thank to Penguin Random House UK / Cornerstone for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
The chapters alternate between Chalotte and Harriet and flip back and forth between before and after Alice's disappearance,also included are extracts from Harriet`s diary.My feelings for either woman flipped back and forth between sympathy and feeling unsympathetic for various reasons as the story unfolded.There was another character who featured quite regularly who was a really nasty,evil,creepy individual.Everytime this character was in a scene,I had goosebumps on my arms and chills ran up and down my spine.The descriptions of the actions and behaviour of the characters where realistic as where the depictions of the treatment of Charlotte and Harriet by the media and people on the internet.
This is a well written,at times very intense,chilling tale of friendships,deceit,manipulation and secrets that had me hooked in from the very first page.I absolutely loved this riveting thriller and would definitely give it more than five stars if I could.I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Many thank to Penguin Random House UK / Cornerstone for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
April 27, 2023
This was one of those books that kept me guessing from start to finish and threw up some great curve-balls! It's every parent's worst nightmare, your child is gone, vanished, nowhere to be found. Imagine if you were taking care of your friend's child and it's YOU that loses sight of them. Horrendous right?
This complex character book shares with us the story of both characters. If you like flawed people where you are not sure if you are on their team or not, this is one for you. I loved the pace of the book, it had me enthralled from page one and never let up. This one was enjoyed in one sitting.
The latter part of the book and especially the ending is incredibly good. Really brilliant! I was holding my breath and had my jaw wide open for the whole telling. I did NOT see all that coming. No matter how much I thought I did. It totally blindsided me and that makes a book so enjoyable. It's intense, dark at times and emotive. I can't recommend this book enough. If you love a good psychological thriller this has to be on your list to read.
Five well-deserved stars!
This complex character book shares with us the story of both characters. If you like flawed people where you are not sure if you are on their team or not, this is one for you. I loved the pace of the book, it had me enthralled from page one and never let up. This one was enjoyed in one sitting.
The latter part of the book and especially the ending is incredibly good. Really brilliant! I was holding my breath and had my jaw wide open for the whole telling. I did NOT see all that coming. No matter how much I thought I did. It totally blindsided me and that makes a book so enjoyable. It's intense, dark at times and emotive. I can't recommend this book enough. If you love a good psychological thriller this has to be on your list to read.
Five well-deserved stars!
July 18, 2020
This is my second Heidi Perks novel in as many days after enjoying the first one so much. Could it live up to the high standard of the first one? Well it's a big yes and it looks like I have found another author that I enjoy reading.
Charlotte is looking after 4 year old Alice for a friend named Harriet and decides to take her to a fair along with her own children. Looking after four children while messing with her facebook page seems to be too much for Charlotte to cope with and Alice goes missing. A frantic search begins and inevitably the police are called.
After a further search Alice is nowhere to be found and Charlotte fears telling her friend Harriet that she is responsible for her daughter going missing. Naturally Harriet is devastated and finds it unbearable to speak to Charlotte as well as struggling to keep her marriage alive. The police are continuously speaking to both Charlotte and Harriet to try and work out exactly what happened as well as other secrets that seem to be left untold. Harriet discovers that talking to Charlotte and trusting her again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter.
This is an excellent read starting with a parents nightmare and turning into a far bigger story than first appears. Well written characters and a twisty plot keep the reader guessing in this page turner. Another recommended read for readers of psychological thrillers and I am looking for more of this authors books.
Charlotte is looking after 4 year old Alice for a friend named Harriet and decides to take her to a fair along with her own children. Looking after four children while messing with her facebook page seems to be too much for Charlotte to cope with and Alice goes missing. A frantic search begins and inevitably the police are called.
After a further search Alice is nowhere to be found and Charlotte fears telling her friend Harriet that she is responsible for her daughter going missing. Naturally Harriet is devastated and finds it unbearable to speak to Charlotte as well as struggling to keep her marriage alive. The police are continuously speaking to both Charlotte and Harriet to try and work out exactly what happened as well as other secrets that seem to be left untold. Harriet discovers that talking to Charlotte and trusting her again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter.
This is an excellent read starting with a parents nightmare and turning into a far bigger story than first appears. Well written characters and a twisty plot keep the reader guessing in this page turner. Another recommended read for readers of psychological thrillers and I am looking for more of this authors books.
March 8, 2019
HER ONE MISTAKE is a fast-paced and nerve-racking domestic thriller, centering around the disappearance of a four-year old girl.
Harriet is a nervous mother who has never let her daughter Alice out of her sight. Hesitantly, she agrees to let her friend Charlotte take Alice (along with Charlotte's three children) to a school fair. In the blink of an eye, a day of fun turns tragic when Alice goes missing.
Can you imagine the horror of losing your friend's child? Charlotte is mortified, and Harriet is devastated. Could a friendship survive such a thing?
The search for Alice is a complex, twisty puzzle that had me hooked! I could easily empathize with Harriet and Charlotte, and definitely shared their tension. There's not much I can say about the plot without the risk of spoilers, so I'll just say that HER ONE MISTAKE was an exciting, suspenseful, and thought-provoking read. Enjoyed!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪 | Instagram | Pinterest | ✿
Harriet is a nervous mother who has never let her daughter Alice out of her sight. Hesitantly, she agrees to let her friend Charlotte take Alice (along with Charlotte's three children) to a school fair. In the blink of an eye, a day of fun turns tragic when Alice goes missing.
Can you imagine the horror of losing your friend's child? Charlotte is mortified, and Harriet is devastated. Could a friendship survive such a thing?
The search for Alice is a complex, twisty puzzle that had me hooked! I could easily empathize with Harriet and Charlotte, and definitely shared their tension. There's not much I can say about the plot without the risk of spoilers, so I'll just say that HER ONE MISTAKE was an exciting, suspenseful, and thought-provoking read. Enjoyed!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪 | Instagram | Pinterest | ✿
July 27, 2018
For me, Summer is all about thrillers! When the skies are blue and the temperatures are rising this seems to be where I gravitate, and so I have been reading many titles from the genre. But when much of my reading deals with similar topics I do also find it easy to become disenchanted with the action-dominated scenes or immune to the high-stakes plot-lines. However, I can undoubtedly say that my most recent read, Heidi Perk's Now You See Her, had me HOOKED!
The events that play out inside this book are any parent's worst nightmare. Charlotte is minding her best friend's daughter, Alice, along with her own unruly brood of four. She takes her excitable entourage to the local school fete where a moment's distraction causes her to lose sight of Alice. After a frantic search it appears she is truly gone and the police, and her as-yet-unknowing parents, must be notified. But when discovering the events that led to little Alice's disappearance, secrets are unearthed that change everything.
I really appreciated how well inter-linked the before and after segements of this novel were. The perspective shifts and the chronology skips but Perks never allowed her readers to become as tangled in the time frame as they do in the twisted web of lies.
I feel like every modern-day domestic thriller is likened to Gone Girl but this is one if the few I have read that truly bears a resemblance. The mid-point grand reveal altered everything and ensured I was gripped right until the very end. A true must-read!
The events that play out inside this book are any parent's worst nightmare. Charlotte is minding her best friend's daughter, Alice, along with her own unruly brood of four. She takes her excitable entourage to the local school fete where a moment's distraction causes her to lose sight of Alice. After a frantic search it appears she is truly gone and the police, and her as-yet-unknowing parents, must be notified. But when discovering the events that led to little Alice's disappearance, secrets are unearthed that change everything.
I really appreciated how well inter-linked the before and after segements of this novel were. The perspective shifts and the chronology skips but Perks never allowed her readers to become as tangled in the time frame as they do in the twisted web of lies.
I feel like every modern-day domestic thriller is likened to Gone Girl but this is one if the few I have read that truly bears a resemblance. The mid-point grand reveal altered everything and ensured I was gripped right until the very end. A true must-read!
July 25, 2018
This is my first novel from Heidi Perks and it was an easy one to relax into, exactly what I needed at the time. I've already downloaded "Beneath the Surface" to cure my insomnia this evening as I await another release from her in the not-so-distant future. There have been a lot of books with the same premise out recently - a child that goes missing and the ensuing chaos and impending doom that follows.
Charlotte is looking after her best friend Harriet's daughter Alice. She had taken Alice along to a fete alongside her own children. She looks down at her phone and pulls up Facebook - the next time she lifts her head to check on the kids and Alice has vanished. "Now You See Me" then follows Charlotte and Harriet as they are questioned separately by the police and there is nothing anyone can do now... as secrets begin to surface.
This is a well-written and chilling read - I am sure that every parent can appreciate how it would feel to lose your own child, let alone the daughter of your best friend. A truly terrifying situation for all involved. This is a book that centres around a few key themes - lies, secrets, deceit, friendship and manipulation. It grabbed me from the first chapter and slowly increased its grasp throughout. Only when I reached the climax did I feel I could breathe once again.
Many thanks to Random House - Cornerstone/Century for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Charlotte is looking after her best friend Harriet's daughter Alice. She had taken Alice along to a fete alongside her own children. She looks down at her phone and pulls up Facebook - the next time she lifts her head to check on the kids and Alice has vanished. "Now You See Me" then follows Charlotte and Harriet as they are questioned separately by the police and there is nothing anyone can do now... as secrets begin to surface.
This is a well-written and chilling read - I am sure that every parent can appreciate how it would feel to lose your own child, let alone the daughter of your best friend. A truly terrifying situation for all involved. This is a book that centres around a few key themes - lies, secrets, deceit, friendship and manipulation. It grabbed me from the first chapter and slowly increased its grasp throughout. Only when I reached the climax did I feel I could breathe once again.
Many thanks to Random House - Cornerstone/Century for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
January 29, 2019
All I'm going to say is WoW. You must read this one! You are not going to figure this one out. Parks is a new author to watch out for!
August 6, 2019
Now you see her. Now you don't....
I went over to the women who had taken my money and was now talking to another mum about the cake stall. "A little girl came on this with my children," I interrupted. "About ten minutes ago now, but there's no sign of her."
"Oh?" I doubted she'd notice which children were getting on and off. She'd barely lifted her head when I'd placed the coins in her outstretched hand. "Sorry, I don't know," she said. "What does she look like?"
"About this high." My hand hovered at the top of Molly's head. Alice was tall for her age. "She's only four, though;
She's wearing a red dress with a white belt."
The women shook her head as her friend stared at me blankly. "No, sorry," she said. "I don't remember seeing her. I'll keep a lookout, though."
"Oh, God." I felt sick. This can't be happening.
********
Now You See Her by Heidi Perks, also published as Her One Mistake, is a harrowing and emotional story about Alice, a missing four year old little girl. Harriet has never left Alice in someone else's care before. Not ever. In four years. When Harriet has to take a class, she has no one to help her care for Alice but her only friend, Charlotte. Charlotte has three children of her own and is taking them to the school fete and is happy to take Alice along with them. While there, Alice disappears. What follows is a terrifying search, not just for Alice. But the truth. Both women are confused as to why they are being endlessly questioned as Alice went missing at the fete. Nothing more. But where is Alice????
This is my first book by Heidi Perks and I loved it! I've had this on my shelf by my bed for months, set to read in January 2019. Why wait? Well, it's a 416 page book and I didn't think I'd have time to fit it in towards the end of the year. I was WRONG! I had no problem blazing through this book, nearly finishing in one go! It's a well written story with deep characters, a rich plot, and questions abound! Hmmm.... What else has she written?
I went over to the women who had taken my money and was now talking to another mum about the cake stall. "A little girl came on this with my children," I interrupted. "About ten minutes ago now, but there's no sign of her."
"Oh?" I doubted she'd notice which children were getting on and off. She'd barely lifted her head when I'd placed the coins in her outstretched hand. "Sorry, I don't know," she said. "What does she look like?"
"About this high." My hand hovered at the top of Molly's head. Alice was tall for her age. "She's only four, though;
She's wearing a red dress with a white belt."
The women shook her head as her friend stared at me blankly. "No, sorry," she said. "I don't remember seeing her. I'll keep a lookout, though."
"Oh, God." I felt sick. This can't be happening.
********
Now You See Her by Heidi Perks, also published as Her One Mistake, is a harrowing and emotional story about Alice, a missing four year old little girl. Harriet has never left Alice in someone else's care before. Not ever. In four years. When Harriet has to take a class, she has no one to help her care for Alice but her only friend, Charlotte. Charlotte has three children of her own and is taking them to the school fete and is happy to take Alice along with them. While there, Alice disappears. What follows is a terrifying search, not just for Alice. But the truth. Both women are confused as to why they are being endlessly questioned as Alice went missing at the fete. Nothing more. But where is Alice????
This is my first book by Heidi Perks and I loved it! I've had this on my shelf by my bed for months, set to read in January 2019. Why wait? Well, it's a 416 page book and I didn't think I'd have time to fit it in towards the end of the year. I was WRONG! I had no problem blazing through this book, nearly finishing in one go! It's a well written story with deep characters, a rich plot, and questions abound! Hmmm.... What else has she written?
May 1, 2018
Harriet leaves her four year old daughter Alice in the care of her friend Charlotte to attend a course in bookkeeping. While at the school fete with Charlotte and her three children, Alice goes missing.
This is a story full of twists and turns and it about secrets, lies and control. I enjoyed this book even though I found Charlotte and Harriet to be flawed and unlikeable.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a story full of twists and turns and it about secrets, lies and control. I enjoyed this book even though I found Charlotte and Harriet to be flawed and unlikeable.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2020
I read this book under the title " Her One Mistake" where my review is listed! A little confusing since I didn't notice any reference to a revised title and cover so I could have purchased the same book and that doesn't seem right or fair to me.
Does anyone else have this problem with other books?
Does anyone else have this problem with other books?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,456 reviews