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All in Her Head
Alison is more alone than she's ever been. She is convinced that her ex-husband Jack is following her. She is certain she recognizes the strange woman who keeps approaching her in the canteen.
She knows she has a good reason to be afraid. She just can't remember why.
Then the mention of one name turns her life upside down.
Alison feels like she's losing her mind . . . but it could just lead her to the truth.
She knows she has a good reason to be afraid. She just can't remember why.
Then the mention of one name turns her life upside down.
Alison feels like she's losing her mind . . . but it could just lead her to the truth.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2020
89 people are currently reading
875 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Smith
6 books117 followersNikki Smith worked in finance until 2017, when a 'now or never' moment prompted her to apply for the Curtis Brown Creative writing course. She is the author of five novels and co-host of the podcast In Suspense. She lives in Guildford with her family and loves to travel, ideally somewhere hot and sunny.
You can find out more about her on her website www.nikkismithauthor.com & she's on twitter/X as @mrssmithmunday
You can find out more about her on her website www.nikkismithauthor.com & she's on twitter/X as @mrssmithmunday
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
April 5, 2020
All in Her Head is Nikki Smith’s debut psychological thriller and is one of my favourite debuts of the year so far as it explores perception, mental illness and many other interesting and intertwining topics. It also packs a real emotional punch. It follows Alison who is struggling due to trauma suffered in her past but seems to be suffering from amnesia so she can't quite remember all of the details of what actually happened to her. She's paranoid and feels she's been stalked by various people and most people tell her it's all in her mind but is it, or does she have more reason to fear than most?
This is a startlingly original thriller and Ms Smith writes about the human psyche and mental illness with a depth and complexity I rarely see in these types of books. It's wickedly clever and completely compulsive from start to finish and has you going over and over in your mind about what is really going on yet when things start to unravel you realise you couldn't have been further from the truth. A cracker of a read and a page-turner that thoroughly delivers. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
This is a startlingly original thriller and Ms Smith writes about the human psyche and mental illness with a depth and complexity I rarely see in these types of books. It's wickedly clever and completely compulsive from start to finish and has you going over and over in your mind about what is really going on yet when things start to unravel you realise you couldn't have been further from the truth. A cracker of a read and a page-turner that thoroughly delivers. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
November 20, 2019
All In Her Head was a brilliantly involving and unexpectedly clever novel, messing with early perception of the narrative so it may not end up being about what you think it's about.
It was a refreshing change to find a book that is disguised as a psychological thriller and having all the layers you expect from such, but which also has an emotive and very important heart to it.
Full review to follow nearer publication but definitely one to watch.
It was a refreshing change to find a book that is disguised as a psychological thriller and having all the layers you expect from such, but which also has an emotive and very important heart to it.
Full review to follow nearer publication but definitely one to watch.
May 2, 2020
For my complete review of this title: https://bit.ly/2yP4Pap
WOW! “All In Her Head” was a debut thriller that really packed a punch. I feel as though I’ve gone through the wars and come out the other side slightly stunned. A mesmerizing page-turner, it deftly portrayed mental illness and a tortured soul with clarity that was only too real. I found myself holding my breath at times, so real was the predicament of these characters.
This novel begs the question “Are people who come from tragic and dysfunctional backgrounds always destined to repeat history with their own families?” It is a testament to the overwhelmingly destructive power of guilt – whether real or imagined.
And that ending… it chilled me to the bone.
Well done Nikki Smith! I look forward eagerly to whatever you write next. Highly recommended to all fans of domestic thrillers.
WOW! “All In Her Head” was a debut thriller that really packed a punch. I feel as though I’ve gone through the wars and come out the other side slightly stunned. A mesmerizing page-turner, it deftly portrayed mental illness and a tortured soul with clarity that was only too real. I found myself holding my breath at times, so real was the predicament of these characters.
This novel begs the question “Are people who come from tragic and dysfunctional backgrounds always destined to repeat history with their own families?” It is a testament to the overwhelmingly destructive power of guilt – whether real or imagined.
And that ending… it chilled me to the bone.
Well done Nikki Smith! I look forward eagerly to whatever you write next. Highly recommended to all fans of domestic thrillers.
December 16, 2021
Alison has left her husband and is trying to start a new life on her own. But it seems as though he's following her. She's sure he's been letting himself into her new flat when she's out at work.
At work she meets a woman in the cafeteria, but although the woman acts as though she's meeting Alison for the first time, Alison is sure that they have met before.
She is afraid of her husband and the woman at work...she just can't remember why.
This was a great psychological thriller. It really packs a punch.
At work she meets a woman in the cafeteria, but although the woman acts as though she's meeting Alison for the first time, Alison is sure that they have met before.
She is afraid of her husband and the woman at work...she just can't remember why.
This was a great psychological thriller. It really packs a punch.
April 15, 2020
Informative, emotive and compelling novel of one woman’s battle with her mental health.
Nikki Smith’s assured debut is less psychological thriller and more a compelling, emotive and informative exploration of mental heath struggles and whilst it was certainly gripping, it is also far more emotionally involving than your average psycho thriller! This is less cheap thrills and spills and more a very real and traumatic issue and Nikki Smith handles her topic with empathy and an astonishing level of understanding.
Split into three distinct parts and featuring two central characters, both following different timelines, the story opens with the present day narrative of emotionally detached thirty-something, Alison. Introverted and socially awkward, she likes to keep herself to herself and spends her days working in a library. Despite being aware that she was once married to Jack, Alison appears to have experienced a psychotic break and shut herself off from the reality of her past. Fearful of Jack for unspecified violent reasons, Alison’s paranoia is exacerbated when a woman she is convinced she knows from somewhere goes out of her way to befriend her in the canteen at her workplace. Running parallel to Alison’s story is Jack’s ‘then’ narrative as he desperately tries to reach out to Alison, despite the weighty burden of a guilty conscience.
The second part of the novel is a snapshot of Alison and Jack’s marriage and shows what exactly led them to their current situation and changed Alison so fundamentally and made me realise how my simplistic judgments and perceptions throughout part one were not so clear cut after all. I was heavily emotionally invested in Alison and Jack’s story, largely due to the Nikki Smith’s nuanced and credible characterisation which made them feel like very real people, both with their own less than perfect childhood experiences. Both of their narratives are written in the first person and make painfully clear how misunderstanding, a lack of communication and the fragile human psyche can combine to tear a family apart.
Having seen Alison’s condition portrayed in a number of recent psychological thriller releases I can honestly say that the struggles, suspicion and fear she experienced afforded me a far better insight into the condition than ever before. This is credit to Nikki Smith’s obvious research when it would have been so easy to opt for a sensationalist and less realistic storyline. Whilst the last gasp and perhaps unnecessary denouement was less of a shocker than it might have been having seen it used in a novel that I read just months before it did little to detract from an incredibly impressive debut that I would be doing a disservice to by simply classify as a standard psychological thriller. All in Her Head is far superior to that and proved an enlightening and poignant read that held me rapt throughout.
Nikki Smith’s assured debut is less psychological thriller and more a compelling, emotive and informative exploration of mental heath struggles and whilst it was certainly gripping, it is also far more emotionally involving than your average psycho thriller! This is less cheap thrills and spills and more a very real and traumatic issue and Nikki Smith handles her topic with empathy and an astonishing level of understanding.
Split into three distinct parts and featuring two central characters, both following different timelines, the story opens with the present day narrative of emotionally detached thirty-something, Alison. Introverted and socially awkward, she likes to keep herself to herself and spends her days working in a library. Despite being aware that she was once married to Jack, Alison appears to have experienced a psychotic break and shut herself off from the reality of her past. Fearful of Jack for unspecified violent reasons, Alison’s paranoia is exacerbated when a woman she is convinced she knows from somewhere goes out of her way to befriend her in the canteen at her workplace. Running parallel to Alison’s story is Jack’s ‘then’ narrative as he desperately tries to reach out to Alison, despite the weighty burden of a guilty conscience.
The second part of the novel is a snapshot of Alison and Jack’s marriage and shows what exactly led them to their current situation and changed Alison so fundamentally and made me realise how my simplistic judgments and perceptions throughout part one were not so clear cut after all. I was heavily emotionally invested in Alison and Jack’s story, largely due to the Nikki Smith’s nuanced and credible characterisation which made them feel like very real people, both with their own less than perfect childhood experiences. Both of their narratives are written in the first person and make painfully clear how misunderstanding, a lack of communication and the fragile human psyche can combine to tear a family apart.
Having seen Alison’s condition portrayed in a number of recent psychological thriller releases I can honestly say that the struggles, suspicion and fear she experienced afforded me a far better insight into the condition than ever before. This is credit to Nikki Smith’s obvious research when it would have been so easy to opt for a sensationalist and less realistic storyline. Whilst the last gasp and perhaps unnecessary denouement was less of a shocker than it might have been having seen it used in a novel that I read just months before it did little to detract from an incredibly impressive debut that I would be doing a disservice to by simply classify as a standard psychological thriller. All in Her Head is far superior to that and proved an enlightening and poignant read that held me rapt throughout.
November 27, 2020
I am in the minority here because I did not like the book. Actually, I hated it. Usually one should go into a book blind but sometimes it would be better to know something more. Then sometimes the book is just not the right one for you.
I had huge problems to find into the story. At 15% into it I already considered to stop reading it. I was terribly annoyed by Alison. Somehow, I did not stop but there was nothing much happening for the first part. Jack is always drinking and running around trying to see his wife. And Alison is being paranoid and imagines seeing Jack everywhere. It was boring and annoying. That was the point when I started to skip through the pages. I read the last part and I must admit it came to a good conclusion. But I did not enjoy the story. I hated the writing because it was repetitive and lacked tension. I never connected to anybody in that story. I think this was not a story I wanted to read and I did not expect to find that kind of story. I was the wrong reader. I was unnerved from all of this paranoid stuff. And the author did not manage to get me involved or made me care for his characters or the story.
I had huge problems to find into the story. At 15% into it I already considered to stop reading it. I was terribly annoyed by Alison. Somehow, I did not stop but there was nothing much happening for the first part. Jack is always drinking and running around trying to see his wife. And Alison is being paranoid and imagines seeing Jack everywhere. It was boring and annoying. That was the point when I started to skip through the pages. I read the last part and I must admit it came to a good conclusion. But I did not enjoy the story. I hated the writing because it was repetitive and lacked tension. I never connected to anybody in that story. I think this was not a story I wanted to read and I did not expect to find that kind of story. I was the wrong reader. I was unnerved from all of this paranoid stuff. And the author did not manage to get me involved or made me care for his characters or the story.
February 26, 2020
All in her Head by Nikki Smith is a cleverly written and thought-provoking debut novel by the author. It’s one of the books that you think you know what’s going to happen and then BAM it’s completely changes direction and it ends with a different conclusion. This book had an intriguing and original storyline and great characters and the author, and I thought that she highlighted the subject of Post-Partum Psychosis very well.
Thank you NetGalley and Orion Books for copy of this book
Thank you NetGalley and Orion Books for copy of this book
September 20, 2020
What an absolute corker of a debut novel.
Particularly personal to me as this was an area that I worked in at the beginning of my career. Written so well with twists and turns throughout even to the final page.
Excellent read
Particularly personal to me as this was an area that I worked in at the beginning of my career. Written so well with twists and turns throughout even to the final page.
Excellent read
November 8, 2019
Masterful and clever from the first line to last, especially the last!
Nikki Smith is the queen of misdirection and had me throwing everything I thought I knew about this book out of the window.
All In Her Head is a spectacular debut and a novel that will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to the author and publisher for my advanced read.
Nikki Smith is the queen of misdirection and had me throwing everything I thought I knew about this book out of the window.
All In Her Head is a spectacular debut and a novel that will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to the author and publisher for my advanced read.
April 7, 2020
A captivating story and a marvellous début psychological thriller!
Nikki Smith has delighted me with this clever and gripping thriller. I was not prepared for the exciting and intense experience this book unleashed on me, nor was I in the least disappointed with this superb twisty story.
Alison Reid is suffering from a terrible trauma that happened years ago and symptoms of amnesia still remain with her. Paranoid and absolutely convinced that she has several stalkers, people have told her that her mind is playing tricks on her. But is it?
All in Her Head is a brilliantly involving and clever novel, that messes with the reader's perception of the narrative very early on in the story. This ingeniously crafty approach had the effect that I was thrown off course straight away, so was pulled in different directions as I tried to figure out exactly what was taking place. Extremely compulsive from the start, Nikki Smith writes with flair and originality, keeping me on tenterhooks throughout. I was never sure whether or not I liked Alison but I think this was a most likely a deliberate ploy. There was something amiss about her and likewise, her ex-husband Jack and they both had their own agendas.
The author’s talent made All in Her Head a wonderfully electrifying story that I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated for the entertainment it was. The ending was something of a surprise to me as I did not anticipate the conclusion. This is a little gem and a book that I'm so pleased to have read!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Orion via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Nikki Smith has delighted me with this clever and gripping thriller. I was not prepared for the exciting and intense experience this book unleashed on me, nor was I in the least disappointed with this superb twisty story.
Alison Reid is suffering from a terrible trauma that happened years ago and symptoms of amnesia still remain with her. Paranoid and absolutely convinced that she has several stalkers, people have told her that her mind is playing tricks on her. But is it?
All in Her Head is a brilliantly involving and clever novel, that messes with the reader's perception of the narrative very early on in the story. This ingeniously crafty approach had the effect that I was thrown off course straight away, so was pulled in different directions as I tried to figure out exactly what was taking place. Extremely compulsive from the start, Nikki Smith writes with flair and originality, keeping me on tenterhooks throughout. I was never sure whether or not I liked Alison but I think this was a most likely a deliberate ploy. There was something amiss about her and likewise, her ex-husband Jack and they both had their own agendas.
The author’s talent made All in Her Head a wonderfully electrifying story that I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated for the entertainment it was. The ending was something of a surprise to me as I did not anticipate the conclusion. This is a little gem and a book that I'm so pleased to have read!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Orion via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
February 1, 2021
All in her head
I felt so many emotions reading this book, it was so cleverly written that I didn't know where the story was going to lead me.
All in her head is a fantastic book and one that I highly recommended to anyone.
There is so much I would love to say about this book, but I really would hate to spoil it for anyone who has yet to read it.
I felt so many emotions reading this book, it was so cleverly written that I didn't know where the story was going to lead me.
All in her head is a fantastic book and one that I highly recommended to anyone.
There is so much I would love to say about this book, but I really would hate to spoil it for anyone who has yet to read it.
March 3, 2020
Alison works in the relative peace and quiet of a library located in a very busy building. The canteen is always busy but she has found a regular isolated table and she enjoys the solitude of her small flat where she can relax each evening, but then things begin to change.
Her lunches are interrupted by a woman she's sure she knows but can't remember from where and things from her past appear in her flat which she knows weren't there before. Is her carefully constructed life crumbling away or even worse, is she in danger from someone? She's sure she's seen her husband Jack as well but he's violent, maybe that's what's scared her?
This is an amazingly powerful story for a first book and leaves the reader in no doubt about how troubled both Alison and Jack are in their own different ways. The publicity surrounding post-partum psychosis seems to have been swallowed up by other equally significant problems which are reported in our social media led lifestyles but it is front and centre in this frankly terrifying tale.
The way other family members are, at the same time, both drawn in and shut out by the illness is shown in stark detail and the helplessness felt by everyone shows there is no easy way to do what is right. Whilst I thankfully have no direct or indirect experience of this, it seemed to me that there was a realism which showed an understanding of what is obviously a dangerous condition which without treatment can lead to tragedies felt by generations through decades of hurt.
My heart was in my mouth a few times and I read this in two sittings, there was no way it was going to be three! I needed to know what happened and why. I hope the understanding of post-partum psychosis I feel I've gained by reading this is accurate, and that I never have to experience it in those I love, it definitely shook me to read Alison's story.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys family based psychological thrillers from a slightly different perspective, as this is definitely worth a read.
Her lunches are interrupted by a woman she's sure she knows but can't remember from where and things from her past appear in her flat which she knows weren't there before. Is her carefully constructed life crumbling away or even worse, is she in danger from someone? She's sure she's seen her husband Jack as well but he's violent, maybe that's what's scared her?
This is an amazingly powerful story for a first book and leaves the reader in no doubt about how troubled both Alison and Jack are in their own different ways. The publicity surrounding post-partum psychosis seems to have been swallowed up by other equally significant problems which are reported in our social media led lifestyles but it is front and centre in this frankly terrifying tale.
The way other family members are, at the same time, both drawn in and shut out by the illness is shown in stark detail and the helplessness felt by everyone shows there is no easy way to do what is right. Whilst I thankfully have no direct or indirect experience of this, it seemed to me that there was a realism which showed an understanding of what is obviously a dangerous condition which without treatment can lead to tragedies felt by generations through decades of hurt.
My heart was in my mouth a few times and I read this in two sittings, there was no way it was going to be three! I needed to know what happened and why. I hope the understanding of post-partum psychosis I feel I've gained by reading this is accurate, and that I never have to experience it in those I love, it definitely shook me to read Alison's story.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys family based psychological thrillers from a slightly different perspective, as this is definitely worth a read.
March 31, 2020
Wow! This is a very powerfully written book that, although it took me a while to appreciate the fact I wasn’t going to know exactly what was happening until much later in the narrative, kept me compulsively turning the pages. For me it was a one sitting book and I felt I needed to read it that way for my own clarity and continuity. There were so many questions I needed responses to and I’ve never been very patient at waiting for answers! All In My Head will take you on a journey into a woman’s mental health and leave you wondering what is really happening and if you can trust this very disturbed woman to tell you exactly what is going on. Thankfully there is another point of view here where we hear from another main character but they don’t seem to be telling the reader everything they need to know either! So my advice is to just buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Nikki Smith has such a compelling writing style and the storyline she has created was gripping and twisty, keeping her readers on tenterhooks throughout. I was never sure I completely liked Alison but I think this was a purposeful ploy. The secrets she was hiding behind were obviously very disturbing so it’s left to the reader to decide if this is a deliberate personality flaw or a defence mechanism in place for very different reasons. There was just something very “off” about her and also her ex-husband Jack so it was difficult to decide who to believe as they both seemed to have very different agendas.
This is psychological thriller with a slow burning, emotional storyline that will keep you guessing till the very end. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more from Nikki Smith after this accomplished debut!
Nikki Smith has such a compelling writing style and the storyline she has created was gripping and twisty, keeping her readers on tenterhooks throughout. I was never sure I completely liked Alison but I think this was a purposeful ploy. The secrets she was hiding behind were obviously very disturbing so it’s left to the reader to decide if this is a deliberate personality flaw or a defence mechanism in place for very different reasons. There was just something very “off” about her and also her ex-husband Jack so it was difficult to decide who to believe as they both seemed to have very different agendas.
This is psychological thriller with a slow burning, emotional storyline that will keep you guessing till the very end. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more from Nikki Smith after this accomplished debut!
January 8, 2022
From a gripping prologue that certainly intrigued me, to the last pages that surprised me, this is certainly a book that kept me on the toes.
I found part one a bit tricky to read, purely I could tell there was the potential for unreliable narrators and with Alison giving us the story in the present, and Jack in the past, I couldn't get sort the timelines in my mind, let alone what may actually be real.
For the title is rather fitting, and nothing is initially portrayed as simply as it may first appear. I did guess one of the reveals quite early on, but everything else definitely surprised me.
By the time the book enters the second part and further on, I was utterly gripped and whizzed through the pages, not being able to turn them fast enough, as I needed to know what was going to happen next.
And I was trying to guess, and kept getting things wrong, and was also impressed by the writing and how into both characters heads I was able to get.
I have a feeling this may be a book that stays with me for a long while. I can't believe this is a debut novel, it is so good! What a book, what a concept. Utterly brilliant.
Thank you to Orion for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I found part one a bit tricky to read, purely I could tell there was the potential for unreliable narrators and with Alison giving us the story in the present, and Jack in the past, I couldn't get sort the timelines in my mind, let alone what may actually be real.
For the title is rather fitting, and nothing is initially portrayed as simply as it may first appear. I did guess one of the reveals quite early on, but everything else definitely surprised me.
By the time the book enters the second part and further on, I was utterly gripped and whizzed through the pages, not being able to turn them fast enough, as I needed to know what was going to happen next.
And I was trying to guess, and kept getting things wrong, and was also impressed by the writing and how into both characters heads I was able to get.
I have a feeling this may be a book that stays with me for a long while. I can't believe this is a debut novel, it is so good! What a book, what a concept. Utterly brilliant.
Thank you to Orion for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
June 13, 2020
Right from the prologue I was hooked.
The writing had such a good pace to it, I found it difficult to put down throughout.
The storyline was dangled in front of us and I needed to know what was going on. Part 1 was initially a little confusing but now I’ve finished it it all makes total sense.
I loved the flipping between past and present and the two POV’s the whole way- it was done with the perfect balance and worked very well!
Part 2 put everything into perspective and the plot really started to come together and my opinions really shifted.
Part 3 literally blew my mind, twist after twist! It really developed and it had me literally sat at the edge of my seat.
And it all concludes in a very chilling and oddly satisfying ending...
I would recommend!
The writing had such a good pace to it, I found it difficult to put down throughout.
The storyline was dangled in front of us and I needed to know what was going on. Part 1 was initially a little confusing but now I’ve finished it it all makes total sense.
I loved the flipping between past and present and the two POV’s the whole way- it was done with the perfect balance and worked very well!
Part 2 put everything into perspective and the plot really started to come together and my opinions really shifted.
Part 3 literally blew my mind, twist after twist! It really developed and it had me literally sat at the edge of my seat.
And it all concludes in a very chilling and oddly satisfying ending...
I would recommend!
May 31, 2020
Such a clever, thought-provoking and topical debut. Smith really messes with your head, which given the themes drives the power of the novel. This one really deserves all the praise, and surpasses the hype. Bravo! I can't wait top see what she comes up with next.
January 6, 2021
Despite currently being rather exhausted, I stayed up later than I should’ve done to finish All In Her Head last night! It really is a gripping read, although it’s theme is truly devastating. I’m not going to go into it too much as it’s the kind of book you want to read without knowing too much about it, so that you get more out of the journey of discovery! Brilliantly written, covering topics that shouldn’t be shied away from. Recommend!
May 7, 2025
Very good book on mental health and the effect on daily life for the person struggling and their close people.
If there is anything that is missing, I would have liked more of her voice and less of Jack's, but still, it's a big complex topic and it's nice to see it in fiction rather than research only.
If there is anything that is missing, I would have liked more of her voice and less of Jack's, but still, it's a big complex topic and it's nice to see it in fiction rather than research only.
March 27, 2020
All in her Head by Nikki Smith is an intricately layered novel, and it is a masterclass in plotting and suspense. It is also so, so addictive. When I first started reading it, I had absolutely no idea that it would lead in the direction that it did. I was drawn right into the mind of her lead character, Allison. I wanted to know what was really going on in her world. What was it that was making her feel so afraid? From the opening pages, you know you are going to be in for a tense ride.
When we first meet Allison she is working in a library, but all the time she is feeling anxious and afraid. We know that something has happened in her past to make her like this. Allison, however, struggles to remember the details. And the book only gets tenser when letters start turning up from someone who Allison never hoped to hear from again, and it is someone who she is terrified of. What did happen in her past? I knew I had to find out.
Allison intrigued me right from the start, and this book was really chilling. I thought this particularly when Allison sensed that a ghost from her past was coming back to haunt her. I could see how stressed this was making her, and this comes through very strongly in Nikki’s writing. You get the sense that the walls are closing in on Allison, and that very soon a terrible truth is going to emerge. You can also sense that she is in a very vulnerable position. It seems that anything might bring her world crumbling down. And when the plot started to unravel, the truths came thick and fast, blowing away every perception that I first had when I first started reading. Once the reveals started coming, I did not want to put it down as I had to know how everything was going to pan out. I can remember how tense I felt as Nikki pulled everything together, and the scenes were so crisp and clear in my mind.
I’m certain that this book is going to be in my top ten reads at the end of the year, and I can’t wait to see what Nikki Smith brings us next. All in her Head is filled with suspense. I highly recommend it.
When we first meet Allison she is working in a library, but all the time she is feeling anxious and afraid. We know that something has happened in her past to make her like this. Allison, however, struggles to remember the details. And the book only gets tenser when letters start turning up from someone who Allison never hoped to hear from again, and it is someone who she is terrified of. What did happen in her past? I knew I had to find out.
Allison intrigued me right from the start, and this book was really chilling. I thought this particularly when Allison sensed that a ghost from her past was coming back to haunt her. I could see how stressed this was making her, and this comes through very strongly in Nikki’s writing. You get the sense that the walls are closing in on Allison, and that very soon a terrible truth is going to emerge. You can also sense that she is in a very vulnerable position. It seems that anything might bring her world crumbling down. And when the plot started to unravel, the truths came thick and fast, blowing away every perception that I first had when I first started reading. Once the reveals started coming, I did not want to put it down as I had to know how everything was going to pan out. I can remember how tense I felt as Nikki pulled everything together, and the scenes were so crisp and clear in my mind.
I’m certain that this book is going to be in my top ten reads at the end of the year, and I can’t wait to see what Nikki Smith brings us next. All in her Head is filled with suspense. I highly recommend it.
May 19, 2020
All is definitely not what it seems in Nikki Smith’s pacy debut, All in her Head. Still, doing justice to its considerable merits without spoilers is almost as much of a challenge as trying to define its genre. Is it women’s fiction, thriller, domestic noir? It is all these things, and more, thanks to a clever tangential shift in tone that effectively splits this story into two.
When we meet its protagonist Alison at the start of the novel she presents as a woman undone. The circumstances behind her unravelling life are not clear, although it is suggested that the root of it lies in the behaviour of her partner, Jack who she now believes is stalking her and leaving her letters in an attempt at reconciliation. So far, so predictable. The woman in peril trope is one that has formed the backbone of successful commercial fiction for many a year, and had this book followed the same trajectory it would have been solid enough.
At around the midpoint, however - not unlike the shock reversal in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl - the reader is clued in to the fact that they’ve been misdirected all along and that the story is about something else entirely. Executing such a narrative sleight of hand is a risk at the best of times, which makes its presence in a debut novel all the more admirable. And for the most part it is successful, with Smith giving us just enough rope to hang our assumptions with.
The second and, for me, the stronger part of the novel, is a different beast altogether as we start to understand what exactly is going on in these characters’ lives. Smith is particularly good at inner psychological detail, and the preciseness of its observation and its accumulation is wonderfully done, resulting in periods of the novel that were almost too intense a reading experience at times. This visceral reaction is exactly what you want as an author, indicating, as it does, an emotional investment from the reader in the world you have created.
There is nothing half-hearted about this book or its desire to face its difficult subject matter head-on, and that is both its strength and, at times, its weakness. I felt, in particular, that the balance of Jack’s narrative, although necessarily slimmer, had the effect of almost minimising his particular dilemma which, at times, affected the credibility of his actions. Interestingly, I had a similar problem with Renee Knight’s Disclaimer, but as the success of that particular book demonstrates, it is not enough to spoil its enjoyment. As good as Smith’s skill at misdirection is too, she sometimes wavers on signposting this intention a little too much in the earlier chapters, with her insistence on what Jack has “done” sometimes threatening to undo the device she has so carefully orchestrated.
There is great readability and urgency to the prose here, with a sense of intrigue that will pull you through the story very quickly. I particularly enjoyed the narrative codas throughout the novel which grow in meaning as their context is revealed.
Overally, this was a brave, confident and skillfully executed debut; a curate’s egg of two halves but without the bad bits. Recommended.
Content warning for references to self-harm and suicide.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion for an advanced copy of the book in return for a fair review.
When we meet its protagonist Alison at the start of the novel she presents as a woman undone. The circumstances behind her unravelling life are not clear, although it is suggested that the root of it lies in the behaviour of her partner, Jack who she now believes is stalking her and leaving her letters in an attempt at reconciliation. So far, so predictable. The woman in peril trope is one that has formed the backbone of successful commercial fiction for many a year, and had this book followed the same trajectory it would have been solid enough.
At around the midpoint, however - not unlike the shock reversal in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl - the reader is clued in to the fact that they’ve been misdirected all along and that the story is about something else entirely. Executing such a narrative sleight of hand is a risk at the best of times, which makes its presence in a debut novel all the more admirable. And for the most part it is successful, with Smith giving us just enough rope to hang our assumptions with.
The second and, for me, the stronger part of the novel, is a different beast altogether as we start to understand what exactly is going on in these characters’ lives. Smith is particularly good at inner psychological detail, and the preciseness of its observation and its accumulation is wonderfully done, resulting in periods of the novel that were almost too intense a reading experience at times. This visceral reaction is exactly what you want as an author, indicating, as it does, an emotional investment from the reader in the world you have created.
There is nothing half-hearted about this book or its desire to face its difficult subject matter head-on, and that is both its strength and, at times, its weakness. I felt, in particular, that the balance of Jack’s narrative, although necessarily slimmer, had the effect of almost minimising his particular dilemma which, at times, affected the credibility of his actions. Interestingly, I had a similar problem with Renee Knight’s Disclaimer, but as the success of that particular book demonstrates, it is not enough to spoil its enjoyment. As good as Smith’s skill at misdirection is too, she sometimes wavers on signposting this intention a little too much in the earlier chapters, with her insistence on what Jack has “done” sometimes threatening to undo the device she has so carefully orchestrated.
There is great readability and urgency to the prose here, with a sense of intrigue that will pull you through the story very quickly. I particularly enjoyed the narrative codas throughout the novel which grow in meaning as their context is revealed.
Overally, this was a brave, confident and skillfully executed debut; a curate’s egg of two halves but without the bad bits. Recommended.
Content warning for references to self-harm and suicide.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion for an advanced copy of the book in return for a fair review.
April 7, 2020
All In Her Head is the story of Alison who has amnesia after suffering a trauma in her past.
She sees people who she thinks she knows but is worried one of them may have been responsible for her trauma. Her sense of fear and paranoia builds, as the reader begins to see the larger story, how Alison’s mental health is drawing her deeper into her fears.
With plenty of twists and surprises this unique thriller is so clever, utterly compelling and is a read in one sitting book. Brilliant.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
She sees people who she thinks she knows but is worried one of them may have been responsible for her trauma. Her sense of fear and paranoia builds, as the reader begins to see the larger story, how Alison’s mental health is drawing her deeper into her fears.
With plenty of twists and surprises this unique thriller is so clever, utterly compelling and is a read in one sitting book. Brilliant.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
April 8, 2020
This is Nikki Smith's debut novel, a very good debut novel at that. All in her head is a psychological thriller which delves into mental illness and I must admit, this book is so thought provoking and well written.
You spend most of the book thinking you know what's going on but there's a twist which honestly, I didn't even see coming.
This one truly had my mind running in circles and I reccomend it highly to any psychological thriller lovers!
You spend most of the book thinking you know what's going on but there's a twist which honestly, I didn't even see coming.
This one truly had my mind running in circles and I reccomend it highly to any psychological thriller lovers!
September 3, 2021
Wow…what a ride!
February 1, 2020
Thanks to Orion Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I started with this book with the anticipation that the plot would run along predicable lines. Well I was wrong! This book is quite simply wow. Nikki Smith's tour de force of a novel about the dark shadows of the human psyche is a compelling page-turner of breathtaking originality. To say that all is not it seems in 'All in Her Head' would be a massive understatement. Smith takes us places in the narrative where even the most fertile of imaginations would fear to tread. The main characters of Alison and Jack are wonderfully drawn, but it is the originality of the plotting and execution that makes this novel a true gem of the thriller genre. With plenty of misdirection, twists and red-herrings, 'All in Your Head' has all the hallmarks of a great mystery that will satiate the appetite of the most discerning of critics. The beauty of this story is that you may think you know where the story is heading but you would probably be wrong. Wickedly clever and compelling, Nikki Smith is up there with the best.
Highly Recommended
I started with this book with the anticipation that the plot would run along predicable lines. Well I was wrong! This book is quite simply wow. Nikki Smith's tour de force of a novel about the dark shadows of the human psyche is a compelling page-turner of breathtaking originality. To say that all is not it seems in 'All in Her Head' would be a massive understatement. Smith takes us places in the narrative where even the most fertile of imaginations would fear to tread. The main characters of Alison and Jack are wonderfully drawn, but it is the originality of the plotting and execution that makes this novel a true gem of the thriller genre. With plenty of misdirection, twists and red-herrings, 'All in Your Head' has all the hallmarks of a great mystery that will satiate the appetite of the most discerning of critics. The beauty of this story is that you may think you know where the story is heading but you would probably be wrong. Wickedly clever and compelling, Nikki Smith is up there with the best.
Highly Recommended
August 18, 2020
What a truly heartbreaking read. Id never heard of postpartum psychosis until a few years ago, and I have 4 children. So I love that it's bringing awareness to it at the same time.
Felt it was written so well. Really gave you a feel, from both sides, what its like to cope with it. Brilliant book i thought.
Felt it was written so well. Really gave you a feel, from both sides, what its like to cope with it. Brilliant book i thought.
January 19, 2022
Last month, with the pile of yet-to-read paperback books on my bedside table threatening to topple and some of the impulse downloads to my now year-old kindle in danger of disappearing into the abyss, I decided that I was going to spend January reading only books by new-to-me authors. True to my word, I started with my kindle copy of 'All In Her Head' by Nikki Smith, which for no good reason at all was the one that as far as I could tell, had remained unread for the longest.
Upon finishing it, I realised immediately that I had a problem. I could think of a lot of positive things to say, and really very little to criticise. But at the same time, I knew that I really hadn't loved it. I just couldn't put my finger on why.
It's taken several days, but I finally have the answer. It lies in the musical 'Wicked'.
It's ten years this year since I first saw this - don't get me started on how time flies - and I remember walking out of the theatre on a pleasantly warm evening thinking just one thing: 'wow. It's clever'. The story, if you haven't seen it, is one that takes the timeless tale of 'The Wizard of Oz' and slowly, gradually and oh, so beautifully turns it completely on its head. You're left viewing everything - and I really do mean everything - you've thought for your whole life about the original story in a whole new light.
But here's the thing. This would be wonderful in a film or a TV drama. But 'Wicked' is a musical first and foremost. And do you really want a musical to be 'clever'?
I'm not sure I do. I want it, more than anything else, to grab hold of my heart. I want to be compelled to dance in the aisles during the upbeat and joyful moments, and to feel a lump in my throat at the sad ones. I want, in short, for my first reaction to be 'I loved it' without even having to think about it. And 'Wicked', for all its cleverness, didn't quite manage to achieve that.
It's really the same story with 'All In Her Head'. It's a very, very cleverly and intricately plotted story that has the reader increasingly doubting the reliability of the main character's narrative, only to realise by the end of the book that just about everything was not as it had first seemed. It also features characters that are mostly relatable, if not all likeable, and manages to sensitively and compassionately address a particular mental illness. It's all the more impressive considering that it's the author's debut novel, and I can quite see why so many other reviewers on Goodreads have given it five stars.
The problem for me, I think, is partly the pace, which is slow for about the first half of the book before suddenly accelerating to about 100 miles an hour and staying at that speed until the end. But mostly it's that the book is marketed as a psychological thriller. And for a psychological thriller to work really well for me, it needs to be that bit more than a cleverly plotted and intriguing mystery. It needs to - as the great Angela Marsons put it - manage to chew me up, spit me out and leave me thanking the author for the experience.
I have to say that 'All In Her Head' didn't quite manage to achieve that. I felt like I was watching the characters with interest, rather than being drawn in to the point I was living their lives. I reached the end feeling impressed, as opposed to feeling that my mind was blown. I admired the plot in the same way that I admired the story of the musical 'Wicked'. But as I said at the start, I just didn't love it, in the way that I loved Tim Minchin's musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda'.
(3.5 stars)
Upon finishing it, I realised immediately that I had a problem. I could think of a lot of positive things to say, and really very little to criticise. But at the same time, I knew that I really hadn't loved it. I just couldn't put my finger on why.
It's taken several days, but I finally have the answer. It lies in the musical 'Wicked'.
It's ten years this year since I first saw this - don't get me started on how time flies - and I remember walking out of the theatre on a pleasantly warm evening thinking just one thing: 'wow. It's clever'. The story, if you haven't seen it, is one that takes the timeless tale of 'The Wizard of Oz' and slowly, gradually and oh, so beautifully turns it completely on its head. You're left viewing everything - and I really do mean everything - you've thought for your whole life about the original story in a whole new light.
But here's the thing. This would be wonderful in a film or a TV drama. But 'Wicked' is a musical first and foremost. And do you really want a musical to be 'clever'?
I'm not sure I do. I want it, more than anything else, to grab hold of my heart. I want to be compelled to dance in the aisles during the upbeat and joyful moments, and to feel a lump in my throat at the sad ones. I want, in short, for my first reaction to be 'I loved it' without even having to think about it. And 'Wicked', for all its cleverness, didn't quite manage to achieve that.
It's really the same story with 'All In Her Head'. It's a very, very cleverly and intricately plotted story that has the reader increasingly doubting the reliability of the main character's narrative, only to realise by the end of the book that just about everything was not as it had first seemed. It also features characters that are mostly relatable, if not all likeable, and manages to sensitively and compassionately address a particular mental illness. It's all the more impressive considering that it's the author's debut novel, and I can quite see why so many other reviewers on Goodreads have given it five stars.
The problem for me, I think, is partly the pace, which is slow for about the first half of the book before suddenly accelerating to about 100 miles an hour and staying at that speed until the end. But mostly it's that the book is marketed as a psychological thriller. And for a psychological thriller to work really well for me, it needs to be that bit more than a cleverly plotted and intriguing mystery. It needs to - as the great Angela Marsons put it - manage to chew me up, spit me out and leave me thanking the author for the experience.
I have to say that 'All In Her Head' didn't quite manage to achieve that. I felt like I was watching the characters with interest, rather than being drawn in to the point I was living their lives. I reached the end feeling impressed, as opposed to feeling that my mind was blown. I admired the plot in the same way that I admired the story of the musical 'Wicked'. But as I said at the start, I just didn't love it, in the way that I loved Tim Minchin's musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda'.
(3.5 stars)
December 27, 2020
Oh my goodness! Not only did I enjoy reading a physical book borrowed from my library, I totally had my head put into a spin with this novel and can't understand why I have not seen this book or heard about it everywhere!
NOT for the emotionally faint-hearted/anyone who is perhaps struggling with a mental health issue, as this is so very realistic and had me empathising so much with Ali that I almost took on her own pain.
Divided into Then and Now chapters, this extremely difficult to put down book delivers a narrative that is highly unreliable. That fact is certain from the very beginning, but otherwise it is hard to work out what is going on. What is real and what isn't?
I knew as I started the book that something was very wrong. I had a strong sense of unease, particularly when Ali is working in the library with Mrs Painter. The sense of paranoia, the constant fear, the hallucinations and the panic, burrow under the reader's skin and wriggle away in the most menacing of fashions.
There seems to be a straightforward sense of domestic violence and certainly a terribly tragic past but it is unclear as to whether Jack is to blame or whether it is down to Ali. Who did what and why?
The opening is tense and the plot never lets up. The ending is so very good as it suggests so much by saying so little and the reader is left with the fear of all that has gone on and what might be lurking just around the corner.
Extremely well written, this is a clever psychological plot that has an original basis and explores how trauma, however long ago it is experienced, has a way of holding us captive and shaping our lives. In the case of Jack and Ali, this has devastating consequences and I was left in an emotional mush.
I adore books like this, which examine mental health conditions and the impact they have on relationships, decisions and the choices that are made. It is heart-breaking, thrilling, sinister and totally believable in a way that can make the reader feel slightly mad! It helps enormously that Nikki Smith has created two very interchangeably likeable and unlikeable characters, whose struggles keep you turning the pages feverishly.
A book to devour in one sitting and one I highly recommend to others. Brilliant!
NOT for the emotionally faint-hearted/anyone who is perhaps struggling with a mental health issue, as this is so very realistic and had me empathising so much with Ali that I almost took on her own pain.
Divided into Then and Now chapters, this extremely difficult to put down book delivers a narrative that is highly unreliable. That fact is certain from the very beginning, but otherwise it is hard to work out what is going on. What is real and what isn't?
I knew as I started the book that something was very wrong. I had a strong sense of unease, particularly when Ali is working in the library with Mrs Painter. The sense of paranoia, the constant fear, the hallucinations and the panic, burrow under the reader's skin and wriggle away in the most menacing of fashions.
There seems to be a straightforward sense of domestic violence and certainly a terribly tragic past but it is unclear as to whether Jack is to blame or whether it is down to Ali. Who did what and why?
The opening is tense and the plot never lets up. The ending is so very good as it suggests so much by saying so little and the reader is left with the fear of all that has gone on and what might be lurking just around the corner.
Extremely well written, this is a clever psychological plot that has an original basis and explores how trauma, however long ago it is experienced, has a way of holding us captive and shaping our lives. In the case of Jack and Ali, this has devastating consequences and I was left in an emotional mush.
I adore books like this, which examine mental health conditions and the impact they have on relationships, decisions and the choices that are made. It is heart-breaking, thrilling, sinister and totally believable in a way that can make the reader feel slightly mad! It helps enormously that Nikki Smith has created two very interchangeably likeable and unlikeable characters, whose struggles keep you turning the pages feverishly.
A book to devour in one sitting and one I highly recommend to others. Brilliant!
December 28, 2019
I started reading #AllInHerHead without knowing anything much about it beforehand. I am glad I didn’t as I found it absolutely intriguing. (Books that are marketed as having twists and turns are usually a let down.) I thought All In Her Head was one type of book, then it became another entirely, which I really didn’t see coming. The reveals were excellent and well executed.
This is Nikki Smith’s first book and she shows a lot of promise. I really liked the novel, will recommend it and will certainly look out for her future books.
Thank you the the publishers, author and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was a treat.
This is Nikki Smith’s first book and she shows a lot of promise. I really liked the novel, will recommend it and will certainly look out for her future books.
Thank you the the publishers, author and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was a treat.
March 8, 2020
This is a clever and addictive debut that turns itself on its head and keeps you guessing right up to the last line. I flew through it in a desperate bid to know how it would all turn out. I can see this working on screen too. Really gripping.
April 1, 2020
Wow, this was a book i didnt see coming at all. It was epic! It was so good, written so well that as a reader i felt so tense as i turned each page, but gripped that i had to keep reading.
Alison is certain her ex husband is following her, she needs to be away from him, she tries to ground herself. She knows the women who keeps trying to befriend her in the canteen but cant place her and she slowly feels like is loosing her mind.
When she discovers another name - her whole world changes as she tries to figure out what is actually happening. We follow the story in parts as it takes place in the present and before both from Alisons POV and Jack (the husband) as we follow the narrative.
Honestly this book was so good, it was a thriller but so much more. Like i said it was so unexpected. I loved the pacing because before i even knew it i was flying through the book itself. One to check out, whilst the subject is quite a heavy one and i imagine could be slightly triggering to some? I enjoyed the way it was handled overall.
Alison is certain her ex husband is following her, she needs to be away from him, she tries to ground herself. She knows the women who keeps trying to befriend her in the canteen but cant place her and she slowly feels like is loosing her mind.
When she discovers another name - her whole world changes as she tries to figure out what is actually happening. We follow the story in parts as it takes place in the present and before both from Alisons POV and Jack (the husband) as we follow the narrative.
Honestly this book was so good, it was a thriller but so much more. Like i said it was so unexpected. I loved the pacing because before i even knew it i was flying through the book itself. One to check out, whilst the subject is quite a heavy one and i imagine could be slightly triggering to some? I enjoyed the way it was handled overall.
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