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The Paramedic's Daughter
Would you lie to your family to protect yourself?
Paramedic Abi Quinn is hailed as a hero by the patients she saves with the London Ambulance Service, but a secret she’s kept since she was a teenager now threatens to shatter that perfect illusion.
When her daughter Rose goes missing while studying at Brighton University, and ghosts from her past return to haunt her, Abi’s caught in a race against time to untangle the web of lies she set in motion over twenty years ago.
Everyone has something to lose.
Everyone is trying to protect themselves.
Everyone is broken.
But what lengths will they go to in order to stop the truth from being exposed?
Tara Lyons is the bestselling author of The DI Hamilton Series. The Paramedic's Daughter is a shocking, unmissable psychological thriller which is set to be one of 2019's stand-out reads. Perfect for readers of domestic noir, it will appeal to fans of authors like Louise Jensen, Shalini Boland and Cara Hunter.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2019
816 people are currently reading
665 people want to read
About the author
Tara Lyons
12 books109 followersTara is a crime and psychological suspense author from London. Her debut novel, In the Shadows, was published in March 2016. Later that same year, Tara signed with Bloodhound Books and published three more books in the DI Hamilton series.
Tara then crossed over from series to standalone and has written two psychological suspense thrillers, The Paramedic’s Daughter and The Perfect Stranger.
She has also written a festive murder mystery novella, A Christmas Crime, and created and produced a charity anthology - Written in the Stars - in memory of her daughter, who passed away in 2020. The anthology is a unique collection of short stories from bestselling authors Angela Marsons, Rob Sinclair, Joy Ellis, Louise Beech, and many more. All net profits from the anthology are in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and The Butterfly AVM Charity.
When she’s not writing, Tara keeps busy with her publishing career and her active family life.
Follow her writing journey via Instagram and TikTok: @Taralyonsauthor
Tara then crossed over from series to standalone and has written two psychological suspense thrillers, The Paramedic’s Daughter and The Perfect Stranger.
She has also written a festive murder mystery novella, A Christmas Crime, and created and produced a charity anthology - Written in the Stars - in memory of her daughter, who passed away in 2020. The anthology is a unique collection of short stories from bestselling authors Angela Marsons, Rob Sinclair, Joy Ellis, Louise Beech, and many more. All net profits from the anthology are in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and The Butterfly AVM Charity.
When she’s not writing, Tara keeps busy with her publishing career and her active family life.
Follow her writing journey via Instagram and TikTok: @Taralyonsauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
May 29, 2019
208 Pages
Shock after shock until the big shocking and unexpected end!
Abi is a paramedic with the London Ambulance Service and although this doesn’t ‘take over’ the book it does give a strong base for her character and you do find yourself with Abi on calls, one very tense and you get a strong sense of who Abi is, obviously well researched and a fascinating glimpse into her job/role
Abi is also a Mum, a single Mum, with a secret, and a devastating one at that, when her daughter goes missing she wonders if all the years of lies and keeping this secret are about to come tumbling down with terrible consequences.......it is! And there are!!
I thought I had guessed the outcome a few times and was fairly confident who had done what and why, I was wrong and in fact the secret/lies was far more shocking than I thought and.....well, you will see why when you read it
This book kept me hooked from the superb start to the WOAHHHHH ending and is written in an easy, reader friendly style
A ‘on point’ psychological chiller thriller that will entertain and surprise you
10/10 5 Stars
May 1, 2019
The Paramedic’s Daughter is author Tara Lyons first foray into writing a psychological thriller which I find hard to believe, after reading this sorry tale, this is one author who is destined to write thrillers in this genre. This has to be one of the most seriously twisted books about relationships I’ve read in a long time, on about mess with your head! This is a story of lies, secrets and complicated relationships, and the lengths people will go to to protect themselves, and stop the truth from being exposed.
I enjoy a book that hints at a hidden secret; the author drops subtle hints and teases the reader and being the nosy person I am it’s one thing that’s going guaranteed to keep me hooked. There’s nothing more satisfying than trying to work it all out before the author reveals all, mind you sometimes that means my imagination runs away with me and I come up with the most far-fetched scenarios. Although my imagination is nothing compared to Tara Lyons, the author takes “twisted imagination” to another level entirely. As for the secret it’s a shocker, and one that has huge consequences for those closest to Abi.
I really liked the fact that the protagonist Abi is a paramedic, the insight into her job is brutal, there’s no shying away from the life and death situations Abi comes across in her job, and the emotions she feels when dealing with life-threatening situations are authentic, raw and very gritty. Abi wasn’t a character I warmed to, and I’m really not sure why, normally I struggle with a book if I can’t connect with the main character, but in this instance it did not spoil my enjoyment of this book one iota. When Abi’s daughter goes missing, her panic and worry are something any parent will be able to relate too, although I was slightly surprised at the direction she took in the search for her.
Like many a psychological thriller The Paramedic’s Daughter starts off at a sedate pace, allowing the reader to gain insight into Abi’s personality, her job and her “big secret”. The author then deftly ramps up the pace, turning this novel into a heart pounding read, as secrets are revealed, and a sense of foreboding wraps itself around the reader. There are so many shocks in this book, I can honestly say there was one I would never have guessed in a million years, but it felt very much a part of the story, and not just randomly written into shock the reader. As psychological thriller The Paramedic Daughter has it all mystery, suspense, and shocks galore its one I would definitely recommend to Psychological thriller lovers.
I enjoy a book that hints at a hidden secret; the author drops subtle hints and teases the reader and being the nosy person I am it’s one thing that’s going guaranteed to keep me hooked. There’s nothing more satisfying than trying to work it all out before the author reveals all, mind you sometimes that means my imagination runs away with me and I come up with the most far-fetched scenarios. Although my imagination is nothing compared to Tara Lyons, the author takes “twisted imagination” to another level entirely. As for the secret it’s a shocker, and one that has huge consequences for those closest to Abi.
I really liked the fact that the protagonist Abi is a paramedic, the insight into her job is brutal, there’s no shying away from the life and death situations Abi comes across in her job, and the emotions she feels when dealing with life-threatening situations are authentic, raw and very gritty. Abi wasn’t a character I warmed to, and I’m really not sure why, normally I struggle with a book if I can’t connect with the main character, but in this instance it did not spoil my enjoyment of this book one iota. When Abi’s daughter goes missing, her panic and worry are something any parent will be able to relate too, although I was slightly surprised at the direction she took in the search for her.
Like many a psychological thriller The Paramedic’s Daughter starts off at a sedate pace, allowing the reader to gain insight into Abi’s personality, her job and her “big secret”. The author then deftly ramps up the pace, turning this novel into a heart pounding read, as secrets are revealed, and a sense of foreboding wraps itself around the reader. There are so many shocks in this book, I can honestly say there was one I would never have guessed in a million years, but it felt very much a part of the story, and not just randomly written into shock the reader. As psychological thriller The Paramedic Daughter has it all mystery, suspense, and shocks galore its one I would definitely recommend to Psychological thriller lovers.
April 19, 2019
I’ve been a fan of this author’s books for a while. Whilst her other books are detective crime thrillers, this stand alone is very different.
The story is told in the first person by Abi herself. I really enjoyed the fact that she is a paramedic and liked getting to see glimpses of what her job entails. It really does make for some compulsive reading.
Being a mother, I could understand the way Abi’s mind worked and getting herself all worked up when her daughter doesn’t answer her phone. With her daughter being miles away at university, it can certainly be a worrying time for any parent.
As the story goes along, we start to find out more about Abi and the secret she has been keeping from her daughter as well as the lies she has told her. It sure does start to get very interesting. Especially when she Abi goes to Brighton, well lets just say the story really turns up a notch at this point and I was racing through the pages to see what was going to happen. One particular part had me turn back a page as thought I had read something wrong as it came as a bit of a shock to say the least.
The Paramedic’s Daughter is a story that draws you in and before you know it you can’t put it down as you are so engrossed with it. With each chapter, it got me gripping and tense and the ending was just the topping on the cake and I loved it. Really hope the author does more stand alone’s as this was just great!
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
The story is told in the first person by Abi herself. I really enjoyed the fact that she is a paramedic and liked getting to see glimpses of what her job entails. It really does make for some compulsive reading.
Being a mother, I could understand the way Abi’s mind worked and getting herself all worked up when her daughter doesn’t answer her phone. With her daughter being miles away at university, it can certainly be a worrying time for any parent.
As the story goes along, we start to find out more about Abi and the secret she has been keeping from her daughter as well as the lies she has told her. It sure does start to get very interesting. Especially when she Abi goes to Brighton, well lets just say the story really turns up a notch at this point and I was racing through the pages to see what was going to happen. One particular part had me turn back a page as thought I had read something wrong as it came as a bit of a shock to say the least.
The Paramedic’s Daughter is a story that draws you in and before you know it you can’t put it down as you are so engrossed with it. With each chapter, it got me gripping and tense and the ending was just the topping on the cake and I loved it. Really hope the author does more stand alone’s as this was just great!
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
May 19, 2019
Mixed feelings on this one. I’d seen several rave reviews and generally like Bloodhound books, but was too late for an ARC so bought it during a promotion. It’s a well written psychological suspense thriller covering some dark and twisted subjects, with a clever and unexpected ending, but I couldn’t stand the main character and the plot was flawed in a number of ways.
Abi is a 40 year old London-based paramedic who is dedicated to her job and her only daughter Rose, who has gone off to university in Brighton leaving her bereft and lonely. When she can’t reach Rose after a traumatic incident at work, Abi freaks out and heads to Brighton to find her, but instead runs in to someone from her past, forcing her to confront the secrets and lies she’s been keeping for years.
I liked the early chapters here as Abi describes the gruelling day to day life of a paramedic - this was well done and realistic and the author has clearly researched this well. The suspense held up throughout and the plot was not predictable. I’ve seen reviews criticising the ending but I thought it was great.
What I didn’t like was the overuse of coincidence, everything from Rose’s choice of uni destination, to who she bumps into on the street - twice! - and what she finds on the beach. Then there was Abi herself, and the first person present narration for most of the book meaning we have to endure her relentless self-pity/self-loathing alongside her attempts to buoy her self-confidence by reminding herself how good and important her job is.
I despised her for the insistence that her daughter is her best friend - that is not normal - their relationship seemed pathetic and claustrophobic - and deluded belief that Sadie had lived the life meant for her: excuse me - you seduced someone’s husband then felt betrayed when he refused to pick you? She feels guilty about lying in the past, but thinks that revealing the life-shattering truth will help Rose? I don’t think so! By the end I concluded that we are not actually meant to like Abi, which meant the writing was effective, but it made it hard to enjoy her point of view.
Finally I couldn’t believe that neither Rose nor Abi would go to the police about the various assaults they experience - I would have liked to see justice served, although perhaps the fact that it apparently was not is true to life, how depressing. Overall I would still recommend this if the issues I’ve raised wouldn’t bother you - it does have mostly positive reviews and I’m probably just nit-picky because I’ve read too many thrillers of this genre.
Abi is a 40 year old London-based paramedic who is dedicated to her job and her only daughter Rose, who has gone off to university in Brighton leaving her bereft and lonely. When she can’t reach Rose after a traumatic incident at work, Abi freaks out and heads to Brighton to find her, but instead runs in to someone from her past, forcing her to confront the secrets and lies she’s been keeping for years.
I liked the early chapters here as Abi describes the gruelling day to day life of a paramedic - this was well done and realistic and the author has clearly researched this well. The suspense held up throughout and the plot was not predictable. I’ve seen reviews criticising the ending but I thought it was great.
What I didn’t like was the overuse of coincidence, everything from Rose’s choice of uni destination, to who she bumps into on the street - twice! - and what she finds on the beach. Then there was Abi herself, and the first person present narration for most of the book meaning we have to endure her relentless self-pity/self-loathing alongside her attempts to buoy her self-confidence by reminding herself how good and important her job is.
I despised her for the insistence that her daughter is her best friend - that is not normal - their relationship seemed pathetic and claustrophobic - and deluded belief that Sadie had lived the life meant for her: excuse me - you seduced someone’s husband then felt betrayed when he refused to pick you? She feels guilty about lying in the past, but thinks that revealing the life-shattering truth will help Rose? I don’t think so! By the end I concluded that we are not actually meant to like Abi, which meant the writing was effective, but it made it hard to enjoy her point of view.
Finally I couldn’t believe that neither Rose nor Abi would go to the police about the various assaults they experience - I would have liked to see justice served, although perhaps the fact that it apparently was not is true to life, how depressing. Overall I would still recommend this if the issues I’ve raised wouldn’t bother you - it does have mostly positive reviews and I’m probably just nit-picky because I’ve read too many thrillers of this genre.
July 23, 2020
A quick, enjoyable read but a little bit predictable.
The ending was a bit too out there for me as well. I did listen to it in a day and the narrator was great.
The ending was a bit too out there for me as well. I did listen to it in a day and the narrator was great.
April 17, 2019
Tara Lyons new book, Just WOW! I hqve read all of Tara's books and love her characters from them, wasn't too sure what to expect this time but, I really shouldn't have worried!! On point story, just what you expect from a psychological suspense story. I was left on the edge of my seat plenty of times throughout and the twists kept me turning my pages, I really didn't want to put it down! Well Tara, you pushed all the buttons and have created an excellent book! Recommended to anyone who loves this type of story....be prepared to lose your days! Five stars plus!
August 3, 2024
Just a pretty messy okish British thriller, and the reader knows everything that happened, yet the FMC walks around to find her 19/20 year old daughter. And then for the cherry on top, she kills her mom wow slayy ig idk Abi was kinda a jerk so you do you sis. Ok and then this cover WHAT does that have to do with being an EMT or mother/daughter? Just some dead Roses because the other FMC is named Rose? HUH?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2019
Weird
**Spoilers**
This book should have been good but it wasn’t? The story itself had potential but I thought it was poorly written & frustrating! The characters in my opinion were not fully developed & the book left many loose ends? Why was Abi’s friend Adele off work sick? Why mention it if it wasn’t relevant? Why did Patrick threaten Rose’s housemate? Who was the visitor at Rose’s house when Abi first visited? How did Sadie react to the news that her husband not only had a daughter but had raped her? His sons girlfriend? How did Rose & Dylan cope after they found out they were half brother & sister? How did Dylan cope learning his father was a rapist? The first half of the book it seemed to take forever for Abi to get to Brighton to check on her daughter? And why take her friend who just wanted to go to student bars? And why turn around without going to visit? It all felt a little rushed & like the plot wasn’t fully developed. A very disappointing read & not an author I would read again.
**Spoilers**
This book should have been good but it wasn’t? The story itself had potential but I thought it was poorly written & frustrating! The characters in my opinion were not fully developed & the book left many loose ends? Why was Abi’s friend Adele off work sick? Why mention it if it wasn’t relevant? Why did Patrick threaten Rose’s housemate? Who was the visitor at Rose’s house when Abi first visited? How did Sadie react to the news that her husband not only had a daughter but had raped her? His sons girlfriend? How did Rose & Dylan cope after they found out they were half brother & sister? How did Dylan cope learning his father was a rapist? The first half of the book it seemed to take forever for Abi to get to Brighton to check on her daughter? And why take her friend who just wanted to go to student bars? And why turn around without going to visit? It all felt a little rushed & like the plot wasn’t fully developed. A very disappointing read & not an author I would read again.
September 1, 2019
I found this boring, couldn't see the point of the story. I note the author has a series which has attracted very good reviews so I may try another one day.
May 24, 2019
Wow. I'm actually so disappointed in this book that I'm writing a review. This book has a lot of great reviews and I was really excited about approaching the thriller genre from the perspective of a paramedic rather than my usual journeys with detectives solving murders.
Damn, this was bad. The first bad choice came from writing this from a first person perspective. I noticed, reading on my Kindle, that this book is 200 pages long. Sadly, with this being told from the main character's point of view, most of this is the waffling thoughts and memories that only serve to pad out the narrative.
The amount of coincidence in this story line is so unbelievable that it can only be compared to a romantic comedy film. Naturally when she goes to find her daughter , the only other people she meets are essential to the narrative, and the first person she bumps into on the street is her daughter's father.
I was really excited about this being told from a paramedics point of view, but apart from her job giving the story a bit of padding at the start and having a tiny bit of size towards the end, it had no real bearing on the plot. It's such a shame as you can tell the author has researched the role to make it seem more realistic and hopefully she can use this research in a better way in the future.
I don't want to spoil the ending too much, but that ending was rubbish. I genuinely feel like I've been robbed of the last couple hours that I spent reading this book.
Damn, this was bad. The first bad choice came from writing this from a first person perspective. I noticed, reading on my Kindle, that this book is 200 pages long. Sadly, with this being told from the main character's point of view, most of this is the waffling thoughts and memories that only serve to pad out the narrative.
The amount of coincidence in this story line is so unbelievable that it can only be compared to a romantic comedy film. Naturally when she goes to find her daughter , the only other people she meets are essential to the narrative, and the first person she bumps into on the street is her daughter's father.
I was really excited about this being told from a paramedics point of view, but apart from her job giving the story a bit of padding at the start and having a tiny bit of size towards the end, it had no real bearing on the plot. It's such a shame as you can tell the author has researched the role to make it seem more realistic and hopefully she can use this research in a better way in the future.
I don't want to spoil the ending too much, but that ending was rubbish. I genuinely feel like I've been robbed of the last couple hours that I spent reading this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2019
’ve loved Tara Lyons’ DI Hamilton series so when she announced she was writing a standalone thriller, I was really excited!! What I read was a tense drama featuring a mother with secrets and a missing daughter.
I really felt for Abi as she worries about her only child who she can’t contact. As a mum, I know the fear of a missing child. I personally think Ms Lyons has encapsulated this fear impeccably. I feared for Rose’s safety. And then I started to uncover about Abi and her past, the secrets she’s been keeping for so long. My brain went into overdrive as to how this was connected to Rose’s disappearance.
Ms Lyons know how to pull a twist out the bag. For me, this read was reminiscent of her debut In The Shadows. The dark and twisted tale that ends on a high, a totally unexpected high. I lost count how many times I caught my breath and gasped as the book reached its climax.
I devoured The Paramedic’s Daughter in two sittings! My attention was well and truly grabbed – nothing was going to stop me reading this suspenseful tale (well other than food and sleep). I applaud you Ms Lyons – I loved The Paramedic’s Daughter.
I really felt for Abi as she worries about her only child who she can’t contact. As a mum, I know the fear of a missing child. I personally think Ms Lyons has encapsulated this fear impeccably. I feared for Rose’s safety. And then I started to uncover about Abi and her past, the secrets she’s been keeping for so long. My brain went into overdrive as to how this was connected to Rose’s disappearance.
Ms Lyons know how to pull a twist out the bag. For me, this read was reminiscent of her debut In The Shadows. The dark and twisted tale that ends on a high, a totally unexpected high. I lost count how many times I caught my breath and gasped as the book reached its climax.
I devoured The Paramedic’s Daughter in two sittings! My attention was well and truly grabbed – nothing was going to stop me reading this suspenseful tale (well other than food and sleep). I applaud you Ms Lyons – I loved The Paramedic’s Daughter.
May 22, 2019
Story good - language not do
A trembling front tooth and an entire cast of 'petite' female characters? Many words used inappropriately. Makes for a bumpy read with little cohesion. Very short on enrichment and relies on condescending repetition to a finale which is weak at best.
A trembling front tooth and an entire cast of 'petite' female characters? Many words used inappropriately. Makes for a bumpy read with little cohesion. Very short on enrichment and relies on condescending repetition to a finale which is weak at best.
May 1, 2019
I'm a great fan of the DI Hamilton series by Tara Lyons so I was really excited to read her first standalone psychological suspense. I certainly wasn't disappointed. Keeping a secret to protect your family can have repercussions. From early on you can sense Abi, the paramedic, has a secret. Throughout the book there is a gut feeling of what the secret may be. The uncertainty of not knowing and the need to know the secret certainly makes this book a page turner. This author has definitely proved she can write a psychological thriller.
August 26, 2019
Don't bother
Possibly one of the worst books that I've read. The protagonist was unlikable,self centred and unbelievable -as was the entire plot. Characters woefully undeveloped and the ending actually made me laugh but for all the wrong reasons. Avoid.
Possibly one of the worst books that I've read. The protagonist was unlikable,self centred and unbelievable -as was the entire plot. Characters woefully undeveloped and the ending actually made me laugh but for all the wrong reasons. Avoid.
May 10, 2019
Disappointed
I did not like this book. I felt like it was finished and it was not an easy read. I won't be reading anything else by this author.
I did not like this book. I felt like it was finished and it was not an easy read. I won't be reading anything else by this author.
May 11, 2019
The Paramedic's Daughter is a little different to the books I normally read, but I had seen some good reviews for it and found myself intrigued, so I decided to give it a go. And boy am I glad I did.
The story follows Abi Quinn, a London Paramedic and single mum, who has a close bond with her daughter, Rose. When Abi can't get hold of Rose, who isn't answering her phone and has vanished off of social media, she starts to worry, travelling to Brighton where her daughter attends university. From here the story tightens its grip, leading to several twists and turns, and shocking revelations, as Abi questions if she is being an overprotective mother or if something terrible has happened to Rose.
As a character Abi is so well written you get caught up in her fear and increasing panic, and the book is almost impossible to put down as you are desperately scrambling with her for the truth. And as for the final reveal - well, I almost always get twists. Sometimes they are obvious, other times, although I get them, I am applauding the author because they are so very well done. Not this time. The final twist came out of nowhere and sucker punched me. Very cleverly done.
If you want a gripping read, I highly recommend this book.
The story follows Abi Quinn, a London Paramedic and single mum, who has a close bond with her daughter, Rose. When Abi can't get hold of Rose, who isn't answering her phone and has vanished off of social media, she starts to worry, travelling to Brighton where her daughter attends university. From here the story tightens its grip, leading to several twists and turns, and shocking revelations, as Abi questions if she is being an overprotective mother or if something terrible has happened to Rose.
As a character Abi is so well written you get caught up in her fear and increasing panic, and the book is almost impossible to put down as you are desperately scrambling with her for the truth. And as for the final reveal - well, I almost always get twists. Sometimes they are obvious, other times, although I get them, I am applauding the author because they are so very well done. Not this time. The final twist came out of nowhere and sucker punched me. Very cleverly done.
If you want a gripping read, I highly recommend this book.
May 16, 2019
the book's main character is paramedic Abi Quinn who works for The London Ambulance Service, and she's searching to find her daughter who's a student and has gone missing. this is a stand alone book, and WOW yes it's a WOW book, it's easy to get a grip on the story and will give you a roller coaster ride throughout the story. if you love psychological thrillers you will love this. highly recommend by me. with a big shocker, not going into anymore detail's but i did love it, well deserved the star's
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April 21, 2019Review to follow on the blog tour!
April 17, 2019
Abi is a Paramedic and single Mum of one, living in London. Her Daughter, Rose has moved to Brighton to study at the local university. Abi and Rose have always been close, so when Abi doesn’t hear from her Daughter for a few days, she knows that something is wrong.
Abi’s initial enquiries lead her to believe that Rose is missing and she soon unearths a link to her past which has devastating consequences for both of their futures.
If you want a book that hooks you in from the first page and doesn’t let go until well after you have read the last page, then this book is for you. A great storyline with a brilliant ending, that you won’t see coming.
Abi’s initial enquiries lead her to believe that Rose is missing and she soon unearths a link to her past which has devastating consequences for both of their futures.
If you want a book that hooks you in from the first page and doesn’t let go until well after you have read the last page, then this book is for you. A great storyline with a brilliant ending, that you won’t see coming.
July 9, 2019
Woahh okay I kind of didn’t expect this book to be what it was…so let me explain. So Tara is somebody I met a few years ago and we talked about her book she had released etc. However we also became firm friends and I can tell you now for a fact I have at various points on reading a book of hers actually picked up my phone and messaged her to say I hated something. She knows I will never write a fake review and will always be completely honest about it so I am going to try and do both. What happened was, I began to read her series of books featuring DI Hamilton, I started out liking them (not loving them) but her latest release with Denis Hamilton was awesome and a smashing 5 star read. When I picked this up I assumed it was another in the series. I was wrong, but a few chapters in realised I actually didn’t want to stop reading. However, there were things I didn’t like about the book but I still had that overwhelming urge to continue.
I read quite a few chapters the first time around and then the next time I picked it up, well… I finished it in one sitting. On one hand this was a TRUE psychological thriller and on the other there were things I just couldn’t gel with. Even after having negatives about this book I absolutely refuse to give it anything other than the full 5 out of 5. I didn’t want to put the thing down and was totally and utterly absorbed in the story line. My main gripe was the lead character Abi, I just didn’t like her. She felt a bit too much like a neurotic Mother for my liking. However, even though I didn’t like her it was pretty clear there were quite a few sinister things going on from the very early stages of the book.
Her daughter Rose appears to have gone missing and it becomes apparent that Abi’s own secrets may well have played a part in her disappearance. The first quarter of the book was a little slow as it felt a little bit like listening to a Mother harping on about her child constantly, but the last three quarters literally took my breath away. Just when I thought the story couldn’t get any better I reached the last chapter….and all I can say is I was a little in shock! An absolute belter of a book that is a must read for psychological thriller fans!
I read quite a few chapters the first time around and then the next time I picked it up, well… I finished it in one sitting. On one hand this was a TRUE psychological thriller and on the other there were things I just couldn’t gel with. Even after having negatives about this book I absolutely refuse to give it anything other than the full 5 out of 5. I didn’t want to put the thing down and was totally and utterly absorbed in the story line. My main gripe was the lead character Abi, I just didn’t like her. She felt a bit too much like a neurotic Mother for my liking. However, even though I didn’t like her it was pretty clear there were quite a few sinister things going on from the very early stages of the book.
Her daughter Rose appears to have gone missing and it becomes apparent that Abi’s own secrets may well have played a part in her disappearance. The first quarter of the book was a little slow as it felt a little bit like listening to a Mother harping on about her child constantly, but the last three quarters literally took my breath away. Just when I thought the story couldn’t get any better I reached the last chapter….and all I can say is I was a little in shock! An absolute belter of a book that is a must read for psychological thriller fans!
July 7, 2019
Wow! This book was an absolute sleep-stealer! I started reading in bed one night thinking I'd get a few chapters read...70% later and way past when I should have been asleep I had to admit defeat and put my kindle down. I was so caught up in Abi's story and her missing daughter Rose that I couldn't wait to get back to the tale and finished it the next day on my lunch hour.
Having teenage daughters of my own I went through the every emotion that Abi did and felt the dread with every moment that her daughter was missing. Throw into that despair the emotions and roller coaster of events involved in being a paramedic and you have one hell of a read.
The Paramedic's Daughter is a gripping psychological thriller and Tara Lyon's first standalone novel; I can't wait to see what's next!
Having teenage daughters of my own I went through the every emotion that Abi did and felt the dread with every moment that her daughter was missing. Throw into that despair the emotions and roller coaster of events involved in being a paramedic and you have one hell of a read.
The Paramedic's Daughter is a gripping psychological thriller and Tara Lyon's first standalone novel; I can't wait to see what's next!
May 3, 2019
“The first time a stranger died in my arms, I cried myself to sleep for a week.”
Abi Quinn is a paramedic working from the ever busy Camden Ambulance Station. One call they receive is for a terrorist attack at Baker Street tube station….Abi and Adele attend and, as professionals do their job….so busy, Abi misses a call from her daughter, Rose.
The following day, she listens to her voice mail and it’s a bit garbled, but she hears Dylan knows……immediately she panics and feels the must need to speak to her daughter…..but she can’t get hold of her…..
Abi is a mess, so worried her secret will be found out…..even her poor mother, suffering from dementia, mentions that Patrick should know about the baby…..but Patrick’s dead…..isn’t he?
Told from Abi’s point of view, it shows how a lie escalates and affects all those around and not just the person telling the lie……it grows and has long reaching consequences in this case…Abi, while a consummate professional at work, saving lives regardless of the background of those injured, internally she is justifying her lie all the time, while panicking about where her daughter is, and how will she react if she ever finds out.
As she visits Brighton to try to find Rose, that past bumps into her, and the truth is about to come out…….!
Well, what can I say…! This is a very clever psychological thriller and I sped through this from start until the incredible, heart stopping end…..time stopped for a moment there while I took it all in…..shockingly brilliant writing by Tara Lyons…
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review
Abi Quinn is a paramedic working from the ever busy Camden Ambulance Station. One call they receive is for a terrorist attack at Baker Street tube station….Abi and Adele attend and, as professionals do their job….so busy, Abi misses a call from her daughter, Rose.
The following day, she listens to her voice mail and it’s a bit garbled, but she hears Dylan knows……immediately she panics and feels the must need to speak to her daughter…..but she can’t get hold of her…..
Abi is a mess, so worried her secret will be found out…..even her poor mother, suffering from dementia, mentions that Patrick should know about the baby…..but Patrick’s dead…..isn’t he?
Told from Abi’s point of view, it shows how a lie escalates and affects all those around and not just the person telling the lie……it grows and has long reaching consequences in this case…Abi, while a consummate professional at work, saving lives regardless of the background of those injured, internally she is justifying her lie all the time, while panicking about where her daughter is, and how will she react if she ever finds out.
As she visits Brighton to try to find Rose, that past bumps into her, and the truth is about to come out…….!
Well, what can I say…! This is a very clever psychological thriller and I sped through this from start until the incredible, heart stopping end…..time stopped for a moment there while I took it all in…..shockingly brilliant writing by Tara Lyons…
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review
June 21, 2019
I found The Paramedic's Daughter intensely absorbing and kept wanting to return to it when doing other things.
The main narrator Abi is a paramedic, and very experienced in taking care of people who have been through dire and traumatic situations. When her daughter Rose goes missing, she immediately feels something is wrong...
Slowly the reader finds out that Abi has a huge secret she's been keeping from her daughter for years, which goes on to cause immense harm to those involved. Abi has lied to herself to protect herself, and it takes her dementia-afflicted mother to shake her into realising. I went from sympathising with Abi early on to wondering how she could be so selfish... But once one tells a lie, it can be hard to start telling the truth. Abi pays dearly for her mistake, I think I can say without giving too much away.
I much enjoyed the paramedic references throughout the novel, which make Abi and her situation believable. Perhaps there's too much emphasis on her thoughts at times rather than observations of what is going on around her, and a few too many coincidences for a realist novel.
The plot kept surprising me - in a good way - and the ending was quite a shock! Though disturbing, i think it worked very well.
4.5 stars
The main narrator Abi is a paramedic, and very experienced in taking care of people who have been through dire and traumatic situations. When her daughter Rose goes missing, she immediately feels something is wrong...
Slowly the reader finds out that Abi has a huge secret she's been keeping from her daughter for years, which goes on to cause immense harm to those involved. Abi has lied to herself to protect herself, and it takes her dementia-afflicted mother to shake her into realising. I went from sympathising with Abi early on to wondering how she could be so selfish... But once one tells a lie, it can be hard to start telling the truth. Abi pays dearly for her mistake, I think I can say without giving too much away.
I much enjoyed the paramedic references throughout the novel, which make Abi and her situation believable. Perhaps there's too much emphasis on her thoughts at times rather than observations of what is going on around her, and a few too many coincidences for a realist novel.
The plot kept surprising me - in a good way - and the ending was quite a shock! Though disturbing, i think it worked very well.
4.5 stars
September 16, 2019
Really captivating
It was a really good plot line, I thought I had predicted the ending but I was pleasantly surprised by it. Abigail, the main character, really got on my nerves though.
It was a really good plot line, I thought I had predicted the ending but I was pleasantly surprised by it. Abigail, the main character, really got on my nerves though.
April 23, 2019
Abi is a paramedic and she works hard
Rose is her daughter
Abi is her mother
Patrick is her father
Rose is engaged to a boyfriend called Dylan
Dylan and Patrick are son and father
I had an ARC
They is a spoiler
Rose is her daughter
Abi is her mother
Patrick is her father
Rose is engaged to a boyfriend called Dylan
Dylan and Patrick are son and father
I had an ARC
They is a spoiler
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2019
Abigail is a paramedic, a woman who lives for her job....and her only daughter, Rose. Nothing else matters to her. Rose is it at university in Brighton and when she fails to respond to her mothers phone calls and messages, worry and panic set in. When Rose was a small child Abigail tells her a lie to protect her, or was it to protect herself? The consequence of lies can be damning, and as the story unfolds the reality of that lie and the events that follow are nothing but tragic. A heart wrenching story of one womans love for her daughter. A great read.
June 8, 2019
I was really looking forward to reading this book especially readings all the great reviews however whilst it's not the worst book I have read, it's certainly not the best.
The story started off brilliantly when we were introduced to Abi, the paramedic racing to the scene of a terror attack in London. This was just up my street and I settled down to get stuck in then I don't know the book just seemed to go a bit flat.
Abi's daughter Rose, is a student in nearby Bristol and when Abi is unable to contact her the panic rises as she attempts to track her down. There is a brief chapter that lets you know that all is not as it seems in Rose's world and she maybe in trouble. Apart from that we have no idea if she is safe or not until the end of the book. Abi heads to Bristol but doesn't head straight to Rose's flat. She is side tracked and ends up bumping into her ex-lover and what would turn out to be Abi's estranged father.
The relationship triangle was a little far fetched for me and I couldn't help thinking to myself, that would never happen. The chances would be off the scale.
I didn't find this a page turner but I did find the character of Abi quite intriguing. She is a paramedic and therefore everyone assumes that she is a strong person but underneath the uniform she is full of self doubt and worry. I can't say I overly liked and warmed to any of the characters in the book but it wasn't as bad as some of the worst reviews I've seen have made out.
The ending was a bit of a shock and I certainly didn't see it coming. I would have liked to have known more about how the other characters lives had changed after the big revelation. Unfortunately I am left making up my own stories in my head for them and nothing was revealed.
I have rated this book 3 stars as it was an OK read but it could have been a little my pacier in places. I would read more by Tara Lyons as there is definitely potential for the next big page turner.
You can check out my books at Jaynie's book reviews - https://jayneanderson79.blogspot.com
The story started off brilliantly when we were introduced to Abi, the paramedic racing to the scene of a terror attack in London. This was just up my street and I settled down to get stuck in then I don't know the book just seemed to go a bit flat.
Abi's daughter Rose, is a student in nearby Bristol and when Abi is unable to contact her the panic rises as she attempts to track her down. There is a brief chapter that lets you know that all is not as it seems in Rose's world and she maybe in trouble. Apart from that we have no idea if she is safe or not until the end of the book. Abi heads to Bristol but doesn't head straight to Rose's flat. She is side tracked and ends up bumping into her ex-lover and what would turn out to be Abi's estranged father.
The relationship triangle was a little far fetched for me and I couldn't help thinking to myself, that would never happen. The chances would be off the scale.
I didn't find this a page turner but I did find the character of Abi quite intriguing. She is a paramedic and therefore everyone assumes that she is a strong person but underneath the uniform she is full of self doubt and worry. I can't say I overly liked and warmed to any of the characters in the book but it wasn't as bad as some of the worst reviews I've seen have made out.
The ending was a bit of a shock and I certainly didn't see it coming. I would have liked to have known more about how the other characters lives had changed after the big revelation. Unfortunately I am left making up my own stories in my head for them and nothing was revealed.
I have rated this book 3 stars as it was an OK read but it could have been a little my pacier in places. I would read more by Tara Lyons as there is definitely potential for the next big page turner.
You can check out my books at Jaynie's book reviews - https://jayneanderson79.blogspot.com
May 17, 2019
After Abi receives a distressed sounding text message from her daughter, Abi travels to her daughters uni house to try and help her. What a tangled web is then unravelled.
I won't say anything else about the plot otherwise there'll be spoilers, but I will say that this is a great psychological thriller. It had me changing my opinions on some characters, and their reasoning, frequently. There's one character that I still can't decide if I like or not. I'll be thinking about their motivations for a while yet I think!
I liked the short and snappy chapters and how the story kept throwing in new elements, some of which were quite disturbing and came out of the blue. The pace never let up and because of my mixed thoughts on that one character, I also have mixed thoughts on the ending.
With this book Tara has created a well written and thought provoking story. What lengths would you go to, to protect your child?
I won't say anything else about the plot otherwise there'll be spoilers, but I will say that this is a great psychological thriller. It had me changing my opinions on some characters, and their reasoning, frequently. There's one character that I still can't decide if I like or not. I'll be thinking about their motivations for a while yet I think!
I liked the short and snappy chapters and how the story kept throwing in new elements, some of which were quite disturbing and came out of the blue. The pace never let up and because of my mixed thoughts on that one character, I also have mixed thoughts on the ending.
With this book Tara has created a well written and thought provoking story. What lengths would you go to, to protect your child?
May 22, 2019
I found the premise of the main plot disgusting. And too much time was given to Abi's thoughts and recriminations over and over and over again. For me it was painful to read and I almost didn't finish the book. I ended up speed reading and skimming especially over the tedious descriptions of Abi's thoughts. The end was an interesting twist, but not one I really liked.
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