Your Life for Mine

by Karen Clarke

A stranger died to save you… now it’s your turn.
Meet Beth Turner.

From the outside, she looks like any other thirty-three-year-old woman, with a gorgeous house and beautiful daughter.

But Beth has a secret that has haunted her past for as long as she can remember. A secret that only those closest to her know.

Aged seven, she almost drowned on a family holiday… and a stranger died saving her life. Survivors guilt has been the defining characteristic of her life ever since.

So, when Beth receives a threatening text message from an anonymous number on the way to her surprise birthday party, she knows her time is up.

"Enjoy your birthday, Beth. It’ll be your last."

As she arrives at her house, there’s only one thing she knows for certain, someone at the party wants her dead.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Adult, Fiction

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2020

About the author

I live in Buckinghamshire with my husband and three grown-up children where I write psychological thrillers for HQDigital/HarperCollins and romantic comedy novels published by Bookouture.

Over the years I've been a secretary/bookkeeper, a wedding photographer, a pub manager, I've worked in a supermarket, a newsagent's and as a librarian - all good for story ideas.

I now write full-time and when I'm not writing, I read a lot, enjoy walking - which is good for plot-wrangling and ideas - photography, watching Netflix, baking and eating cakes. And then more walking to work off the cakes.

Reviews

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow this was a brilliant, twisty book to end what has been a terrible year. It was a very twisty book and although I guessed who was doing all the threats I still wasn’t completely sure until near the end. I really want to read more from this author. I highly recommend this book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen Clarke is a welcome new voice in suspense fiction. Here, unlike some other authors who have recently tried (thrillers are now all the rage, as we know!) she makes the transition from romance to suspense seamlessly, building great tension, and not belaboring the romantic aspects of this suspense novel.

The plot is a familiar one but well-executed. Beth is being stalked and threatened with death because of a secret from her past. The premise of this reminds me of the YA books I read as a kid (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Slumber Party, etc.) only instead of the menacing note with letters clipped from magazines, we have anonymous text messages that mysteriously disappear. Well done. The story does a great job moving your suspicions around the cast of characters. I was wrong about whodunit and the actual perpetrator came as a surprise to me. The plot and dialogue are good, and Beth sleuths a little on her own without being ridiculous or unrealistic as a volunteer detective.

Solid 3.5 stars, rounded up for the good writing. Thanks to HQ Digital, Netgalley and the author for the advance copy.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced thriller that hooks you from the very first page. It centers on Beth, who gets a scary text message on the way to her own birthday party, threatening her. Other scary things start to happen and it's clear that the threats are tied to Beth's near-drowning incident as a child- the man who saved her lost his own life and she never knew who he was, but is convinced that someone in her life currently must be tied to him somehow. S

This story is very twisty because Beth is suspicious of everyone, and there are a lot of options. The author did a great job throwing out some very believable red herrings that made me think I had it all figured out, only to be surprised later. When the villain was ultimately revealed, I was completely caught off guard.

Beth herself got on my nerves a bit, as she made what I thought were some pretty stupid choices. She wasn't unlikeable, per se, but kind of like that one flighty friend you have who you wish would talk to you before running off and doing something silly.

Overall, I think this was a good book and I'd recommend it for those who like mysteries and domestic suspense. I'd be interested in reading other books by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Natalie M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the first two chapters and the last two chapters and save yourself a world of pain!

Implausible plot, annoying, self-centred characters and a ridiculous ending. Two stars ...one for the fact I borrowed it from on the library and another for finishing.

[AC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Your Life for Mine opens well: a text to a woman, on her birthday, saying this was the last birthday she would ever be alive to celebrate.

Alas, the rest of the book does not quite live up to the promise of this opening. There are likely spoilers galore here.

Beth, the birthday girl and recipient of the message, is a walking ball of anxiety. Her boyfriend therapist is annoying when she relays the message to him. She wonders if this has anything to do with "what happened to her" when she was a child - and that "something" isn't laid out until we're a third of the way into the book.

I found this book VERY annoying, mainly because of Beth, who seemed to need intensive therapy, and because the author holds back the good details until halfway through the book and then in the last 20-ish pages. No one acts like a real person would act, and the impetus behind the would-be murder is not credible at all. Nor is the end, for the would-be murderer.

Didn't like it, wouldn't recommend it unless you had nothing else at all to read. The only good thing about this book is that it is a fast, fast read: 80 minutes for me, even without skipping Beth spiraling into yet another meltdown about something like a spoiled child.

Two out of five stars: one for writing and another for there at least being some cohesiveness in the story, despite the ridiculous motives.

Thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for the review copy.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Clarke has come up with a compelling and addictive tale that held me in its grasp right from the short and sweet prologue. The first chapters immediately set the tone of the book and I was totally engrossed in the story. Told from the perspective of the main character, Beth Turner, this book crackles with tension. The cleverly crafted and intriguing plot follows Beth who the reader gets to meet when she receives a threatening text whilst journeying from London to her own birthday party, organised by her boyfriend, Vic. Beth has a beautiful house and a wonderful daughter but her past has not been all sweetness and light, and her life plummets into a nightmare when her past catches up with her.

I was wowed by the easy-to-read, emotive and extremely suspenseful style of Karen Clarke in this standalone tale of psychological suspense. The writing flowed effortlessly and the narrative was very well structured. Your Life for Mine was a story that was packed with suspicion and twists as it spiralled its way to the surprise denouement. It is a must-read for fans of the psychological thriller genre. I look forward to reading many more books from Karen Clarke. I read Your Life for Mine with relish and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Overall, an enjoyable and tension-filled domestic thriller. 😊

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ Digital via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Tammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been really loving this author's books, but this one was a bit of a miss for me. The whole feel of this book was different from the others. On a positive note, it was the first one of her books that I didn't have figured out halfway through. Although I did consider this person could possibly be the culprit at one point, I suspected several people.

The thing that I disliked about this book the most was the main character. I usually really like the main characters in Karen Clarke's books, but there were many times I thought this one was too stupid to live. I also really disliked the way she treated her estranged husband. This woman's whole life was ruled by fear, and it all stemmed from something that happened when she was only 7 years old. I feel like she should have been able to get past it years before she did, and I think her parents just made things so much worse for her. The thing was always there because they couldn't forget about it and treated her differently because of it. I also have to question how much a woman in her 30s would remember about the smells of a place from when she was 7 years old. I almost drowned once in a river when I was a child and I couldn't tell you anything about the way the place smelled.

So overall this was a disappointment, but I'm still looking forward to reading more books by this author. One 3 star book amongst several 4 star books isn't bad.


Review also posted at Writings of a Reader and on Facebook.

[Tonje · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rarely write reviews but thought I would say a few words about this one.

If the authors point was to write about a selfish and childish woman, she did a brilliant job.
The main character Beth made everything about herself.
Yes, she did almost drown when she was 7 years old, but if you still get panic attacks just by seeing water after so many years maybe you should get some help. I mean she's had almost 30 years to do something about it yet it's what her whole life is about.
This character just really annoyed me, throwing tantrums then when someone said something back she cries and feels sorry for herself.

Just my thoughts and opinions after reading this book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good thriller but I was disappointed by the conclusion, feeling that it was a bit far-fetched. For the rest of the story, however, I was gripped by Beth's suspicions and could not predict who was behind the threats.

Undoubtedly, Beth is haunted by her traumatic experience of nearly-drowning. Suffering from survivor's guilt, Beth cannot forget the fact that her saviour was someone who lost his life. To cope, Beth channels these emotions through her career as an art therapist. Helping people who are also suffering is helping Beth to cope with her memories but it never has truly disappeared. This is reflected in the break-down of her marriage and her estranged husband, Matt, really had my sympathies! I could imagine his haunted look every time he appeared in the story: wounded by leaving the family home and missing his daughter, Hayley so much.

The threats that begin at Beth's party start a path of suspicion. Suddenly, everyone around her has a motive for wanting to see Beth suffer after the near-drowning. Could it be her brother? Her estranged husband? Her current boyfriend? Her art-therapy clients? The list is almost endless and throughout the story I thought I had determined which characters could not be involved. However, Clarke's writing kept me guessing and incorrect! This was an enjoyable element of the thriller because I could really get a sense of Beth's fear and paranoia.

With plenty of twist and turns, this is a fast-paced thriller and I was engrossed very early on. Even when I was not reading this book, I could not help but ponder how the plot would be develop and what would happen to Beth. I found her a likeable character and admired her method of channelling her childhood trauma through art therapy. Furthermore, the descriptions of Beth's own paintings of the sea made the art sound really impressive - but this is reinforced by the art exhibition that is being planned to showcase this work.

What let this book down for me was the conclusion. Certainly dramatic, I did not enjoy how the story unfolded and felt the conclusion was pushing reality too much. I think there was not enough closure and it was wrapped up a bit too conveniently. I wanted more justice and retribution! However, the way that Clarke closes the story did make me wonder if there would be a follow-up to this story?

I liked this read and applaud how the writer has switched genres. As a first thriller, I think this largely worked really well and I would be excited to see what Clarke releases next.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good, keep you guessing kind of read. It is well paced that makes you want to keep reading until the end. Thinking I knew early on was a big mistake in my eyes, you won't be prepared to find out who it actually is. Everyone is actually suspiciously and everyone is a suspect but who is it really? I was gripped from the first page and was shocked by the ending to this chilly and tense story.

[Ti.Me · Rating 3 out of 5]

7-year old Beth is rescued from nearly drowning by a man who drowns during the effort. Beth spends the ensuing years feeling survivor's guilt, and terrified of drowning.

26 years later, death threat notes begin to appear, and Beth suspects everyone around her.

3 stars

[Megan Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet Beth Turner. From the outside she looks like any other thirty-three-year-old woman, with a gorgeous house and beautiful daughter. But when Beth receives a threatening text message from an anonymous number on the way to her surprise birthday party, she knows her time is up. Beth has a secret that has haunted her past for as long as she can remember. A secret that only those closest to her know. A stranger died once because of Beth. As she arrives at her house, there’s only one thing she knows for certain, someone at the party wants her to pay.

So this was an okay read. On paper I really liked the plot, in translation, the plot was decent but nothing spectacular. Clarke throws in a lot of red herrings throughout this read which I did enjoy, however it all led to a fairly obvious reveal at the end which I did find disappointing. I would not say I was gripped by the plot but there was something about it that kept me reading.

The characters on the other hand are really good. I felt a connection in some way to all of them. Beth in particular is really interesting and I enjoyed learning about her and her past and how this has impacted the Beth we then read about. The other characters in this are interesting as well and all play an intriguing role in Beth's life. At some point during this read, most of them are suspects which adds some excitement to the read and did lead to me questioning them and their motives. The characters are definitely the strength of this read.

'Your Life For Mine' is okay but not electrifying. Clarke does portray emotions well and features a lot of them too. For me, this needed something else to transform it into a gripping read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an advance copy.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s Beth Turner’s 33rd birthday, on her way home to celebrate with her loved ones she receives an anonymous text message, “Enjoy your birthday Beth. It’ll be your last.”.
Beth has a secret that has haunted her and her family for as long as she can remember, a stranger died once… because of Beth. So begins a series of events that will force Beth to face the past and try to uncover the truth about who is taunting her, who wants her dead. But will she find out before it’s too late?

Karen Clarke has created a gripping suspense novel, full of well imagined characters and likely suspects. Like Beth, I suspected just about everyone at some point, going in circles and jumping between suspects. Beth is always looking over her shoulder, we never know who she can trust. I truly did not anticipate the eventual ending.

Beth’s desperation was at times palpable and her anguish and confusion relatable. She is a layered but needy protagonist, who leads the reader into her innermost fears and thoughts. The dynamics of Beth’s family added to the intrigue, the supporting characters were interesting and their individual traits reinforced the suspicions hinted at throughout the storyline.

Undoubtedly the final chapters of the book were the most gripping, I absolutely zoomed through and could not stop reading until I knew who wanted Beth dead!


Thank you to the Author, HQ Digital and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Bamba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really intriguing premise. An adult dealing with survivors guilt since she was 7 years old. Its a hard concept to get your head around, as she was so young and how can she possibly blame herself? However I was impressed by the light that was shed on this condition and how it was handled very sensitively.

Despite keeping this is mind and trying so hard to let this diagnosis temper judgement...Beth was still a very difficult character. She was with a kind man who she was using, as she did not have any feelings for him really. It's hard to understand her relationship with Jamie. Would a brother resent his sister being saved so much?
Every single one of her relationships were fraught with inconsequential baggage...it seemed her life was just overly complicated but even with the survivors guilt it's hard to see how it got to this stage.

I also found the pacing very slow at times...I think it could have been a bit shorter and tighter....we definitely needed more adrenalin and more danger....had it been quicker would have rated it much higher but mid way through I was very frustrated with how little information we had and how much more of the book there was to go.

Overall its an interesting read but could definitely have done with some pacing changes.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Marnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your Life for Mine is a read that popped up on my radar when I saw that Karen Clarke had co-authored a book with one of my favourite authors Amanda Brittany (which I still need to read!). Based on this, I was eager to read Karen Clarke’s latest offering and I was not disappointed.

I have used this example lately in a couple of my reviews of late and it is also fitting here, that Your Life for Mine plays out like a Lifetime Movie, although in this case, without the cheesy dialogue! Karen Clarke has put together an addictive tale that had me caught up in its web, unable to break free, until the final page.

The story kicks off immediately and Karen Clarke does not lift her foot off the accelerator until the end. It has been very well plotted, executed and with a cast of characters that have you second guessing each of their motives, makes for a great mystery to try and solve and such an enjoyable read.

Your Life for Mine is Karen Clarke’s first standalone in the psychological suspense genre and she has done a fantastic job. She is definitely an exciting new voice in the genre and I will be eagerly waiting and looking forward to reading what she comes up with next. It was a pleasure to read and review Your Life for Mine which I recommend.

[Fiona Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this book and the author executed it perfectly. I suspected various characters as the story progressed and was surprised when the villain was revealed in a climactic, well written scene ,where Beth is left to drown in the sea.

The main character, Beth, had almost drowed aged 7 and the man who saved her, tragically died as a result. She has always felt guilty about this and it seems someone is out for revenge. When we learn the backstory of her new boyfriend, her ex husband, her brother, friends and clients, there are so many possibilities and th athor really does a great job of making the reader suspect them.

I felt engaged with the main character and invted in her story, so found it hard to put this book down without reading one more chapter. I will definitely be keen to read more by Karen Clarke.

Thanks to netgalley and HQ for the advance copy.

[Alahna O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character, Beth, is so childish for a 33-year-old woman. She is just so annoying and self-centred too. The plot is not the worst, it was somewhat entertaining, but it’s something that would just never happen so the implausibility of it all made for a poor story.

I really enjoy Clarke’s style of writing. It’s very accessible and is most of the reason why this rating consists of two stars and not fewer.

The men in this story deserved better. I was so annoyed at how Beth acted towards them even after things were resolved.

Anyway, in terms of plot, character development and everything else that makes for a good story, I wouldn’t recommend this book really. But if you like a cheesy crime novel that’s quick and not taxing, maybe give it a try.

[Danise Sumner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC! This book had me intrigued from the beginning but it was slow moving for me. I was ready for some answers and felt it dragged on a bit. I found myself skipping over a lot of the book just to get to the end and find out who is behind everything. I almost gave this book up a few times but wanted to know how it ended. So for that reason I gave it 3 stars. I liked that it kept me guessing until the end.

[Nat PlainJanetheBookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good listen although I couldn’t say I loved it, but it was good. I just didn’t identify with the characters, not full but in.

I did like the twist, it did have be guessing and by process of elimination. Just before she said the persons name I yelled out...

Chapters were a good length, the pace was not too slow or fast.. there’s just something that didn’t mesh with me.

Give it a go though and let me know what you think!

[Zimbellina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beth almost drowns when she’s 7 and is saved by a man who drowned saving her. 26 years later and someone’s out for revenge.

I don’t know why but I didn’t really connect with Beth. I thought she kinda acted like an idiot and went around accusing everyone and not telling people things and just a lot of silliness. The book was alright and I didn’t guess who the stalker was but it just didn’t do it for me.

[Kim Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clarke did a great job of diverting readers from the true villain plotting to harm Beth. I confess I was surprised by the identity of the person plotting to kill Beth. The story was easy to read & fast paced. I like a story that gets straight to it without a lot of fluff & unnecessary narrative. I enjoyed this book.

[Carrie Esler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3
This book had some points where my heart raced, and it was not a good one to read before bed as it kept me wanting to read more

But I was not remotely a fan of the main character and the way she treated everyone as suspects and how she thought she could investigate things on her own.

Overall, I didn’t suspect the culprit, but wasn’t shocked either

[Joanne Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read - I loved this thriller and there were so many suspects in the mix that it had me guessing up until the reveal at the end - A fantastic read, very well written. Cant wait for the next book from this author

[Nicole Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this arc through net galley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

This book chilled me but also made me want Beth to come out the victor and find out who wanted her dead.

I would highly recommend this book and will be looking for more books by Karen Clarke.

[Jill Burgin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my third domestic noir read from this author and it was my favorite so far. Loved the premise and the twists and turns throughout. Our protagonist Beth makes some really bad choices but you forgive her in the next chapter as she is surrounded by people and one is dangerous - which one?

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just brilliant. A perfectly balanced whodunit, with just the right number of clues to leave you suspecting everyone.

[Jenny O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

[Dawn Marsanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it.
Although some of Beth's decisions seemed a bit foolish I still liked the novel.
Engaging plot and settings.
Would read more by this author.

[Shorty6904 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started of good but then it just dragged and I kinda knew what was going to happen. Shame really as I wanted it to be good.

[Bethany Appleton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish the main characters was annoying