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The Matchmaker
Perfect Lives Don’t Come Cheap.
Marcia Bailey has it all: a passionate marriage to a rich and handsome man who is utterly devoted to her; fame and success as London’s premier matchmaker; a beautiful home in a posh neighbourhood, and fabulous holidays in exotic places.
But her perfect life turns into a nightmare overnight when a mysterious caller suddenly threatens to reveal secrets from her past she thought she had left behind forever. Who is he and what does he really want? He says he wants three million pounds to keep quiet, and she’s willing to pay. After all, she has already sacrificed so much, and perfect lives don’t come cheap.
But Marcia has a hunch her caller wants more than money from her. He wants to hurt and humiliate her. But why?
As police investigate a brutal murder in a wealthy London neighborhood, they untangle a web of lies, violence, sex and jealousy surrounding Marcia Bailey and the group of wealthy and powerful men who have secrets of their own to keep.
The Matchmaker is filled with unexpected twists and turns — and characters that will haunt you long after you’ve read the last page.
Marcia Bailey has it all: a passionate marriage to a rich and handsome man who is utterly devoted to her; fame and success as London’s premier matchmaker; a beautiful home in a posh neighbourhood, and fabulous holidays in exotic places.
But her perfect life turns into a nightmare overnight when a mysterious caller suddenly threatens to reveal secrets from her past she thought she had left behind forever. Who is he and what does he really want? He says he wants three million pounds to keep quiet, and she’s willing to pay. After all, she has already sacrificed so much, and perfect lives don’t come cheap.
But Marcia has a hunch her caller wants more than money from her. He wants to hurt and humiliate her. But why?
As police investigate a brutal murder in a wealthy London neighborhood, they untangle a web of lies, violence, sex and jealousy surrounding Marcia Bailey and the group of wealthy and powerful men who have secrets of their own to keep.
The Matchmaker is filled with unexpected twists and turns — and characters that will haunt you long after you’ve read the last page.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2021
18 people want to read
About the author
Helene Fermont
8 books70 followersHélene Fermont’s a practising psychologist with vast experience of people from all walks of life and background. Her Character Driven Psychological Thrillers are completely fictitious with much emphasis on their journey and interaction, intriguing traits and storylines.
After many years in London, Hélene divides her time between London and her home town, Malmö. Her beloved, beautiful cat, Teddy, is her writing buddy.
Hélene’s the proud author of five Psychological Thrillers; Because Of You, We Never Said Goodbye, His Guilty Secret, One Fatal Night, and The Matchmaker. Hélene’s the author of a collection of crime and romantic stories, Who’s Sorry Now? Currently, she’s working on her second collection, Maisie’s Secret which will be released later this year.
Hélene’s novels and stories are known for their explosive, pacy narrative and storylines.
After many years in London, Hélene divides her time between London and her home town, Malmö. Her beloved, beautiful cat, Teddy, is her writing buddy.
Hélene’s the proud author of five Psychological Thrillers; Because Of You, We Never Said Goodbye, His Guilty Secret, One Fatal Night, and The Matchmaker. Hélene’s the author of a collection of crime and romantic stories, Who’s Sorry Now? Currently, she’s working on her second collection, Maisie’s Secret which will be released later this year.
Hélene’s novels and stories are known for their explosive, pacy narrative and storylines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 9, 2021
273 pages
A "Who dunnit murder mystery" ....is a current book about a woman leaving her past behind.
In her new current life as the most famous matchmaker in the city of London, there are bound to be
a few people who knew her before she changed her name from Tracey.
This book includes the topic of relationships between adults, truths, detecting love, abuse and what do we consider family. Why is it people abuse the ones they love.
I do recognize that this type of mystery needs many characters to choose from even though it sometimes becomes confusing, and for me it was a bit difficult to keep track of character personalities woven throughout the book.
A "Who dunnit murder mystery" ....is a current book about a woman leaving her past behind.
In her new current life as the most famous matchmaker in the city of London, there are bound to be
a few people who knew her before she changed her name from Tracey.
This book includes the topic of relationships between adults, truths, detecting love, abuse and what do we consider family. Why is it people abuse the ones they love.
I do recognize that this type of mystery needs many characters to choose from even though it sometimes becomes confusing, and for me it was a bit difficult to keep track of character personalities woven throughout the book.
April 18, 2021
At 273 pages, this was a relatively quick read that I devoured within the space of a day.
We start off by meeting Marcia who has made a name for herself as The Matchmaker due to her success in matching up people of which has turned into a very profitable career. Marcia seems to have the perfect marriage but it quickly becomes clear that there is more to this woman and her past that left me feeling very intrigued.
I don’t want to say too much about the storyline itself as I wouldn’t want to spoil it for others but the story picks up pace as the author delivers curve ball after curve ball with so many twists and turns, I never knew which direction we were going to be taken to next. All I can say is that I didn’t know who to trust as a lot of the characters seem to be hiding secrets also which made this an enthralling read.
The Matchmaker is a cleverly woven story with lots of shocks and surprises in store. It will have you questioning and doubting everyone’s motives as the revelations start to unfold. It certainly had me rethinking how I felt about some of the characters. A twisty and entertaining read.
We start off by meeting Marcia who has made a name for herself as The Matchmaker due to her success in matching up people of which has turned into a very profitable career. Marcia seems to have the perfect marriage but it quickly becomes clear that there is more to this woman and her past that left me feeling very intrigued.
I don’t want to say too much about the storyline itself as I wouldn’t want to spoil it for others but the story picks up pace as the author delivers curve ball after curve ball with so many twists and turns, I never knew which direction we were going to be taken to next. All I can say is that I didn’t know who to trust as a lot of the characters seem to be hiding secrets also which made this an enthralling read.
The Matchmaker is a cleverly woven story with lots of shocks and surprises in store. It will have you questioning and doubting everyone’s motives as the revelations start to unfold. It certainly had me rethinking how I felt about some of the characters. A twisty and entertaining read.
April 20, 2021
The Matchmaker was a mystery thriller that revolved around The Matchmaker, Marcia Bailey, who got her perfect life at huge cost. This was about trust, lies, betrayal, past mistakes, secrets, drive to leave behind past for successful rich life, obsession and hatred.
Writing was easy to follow. Short chapters made it fast paced. It was written in multiple third person narrative. Setting of affluent area of London and community was interesting to read. Plot was character driven and I liked how it started.
Though story revolved around Marcia and her life, we actually know her through secondary characters.
Along with Marcia we meet many secondary characters who were related to her past. It was surprising they all lived in the same area and had same social circle, were even in touch with her husband and yet she somehow made it possible to keep her past secret. That was a bit unbelievable and didn’t surprise me with what happened.
Some turns were well written some I could easily see coming.
Main thing I didn’t like was the repetitiveness. Maybe because of multiple perspective. Every character was telling their side of story along with Marcia’s past and how they were related to her, then detectives trying to deduce who was the murderer… it all made the facts repetitive throughout the book.
There was no character depth. I didn’t feel anything for any of them. They made me annoyed or roll my eyes most of the time, even those detectives.
I think in first 25-30% of the book revealed so much about Marcia that I wasn’t much surprised for what came in rest of the book.
I could easily guess who was involved in the murder early in book, when detectives were interviewing characters. It was obvious that person didn’t tell the whole thing and waving flag to reader I’m involved. And it was really cliched.
Overall, The Matchmaker was fast paced with fabulous beginning but then, for me, it turned out okay. I liked One Fatal Night more than this one. If you like the sound of the book you, go for it.
Read full review on my book blog by following this link - https://booksteacupnreviews.com/2021/...
Writing was easy to follow. Short chapters made it fast paced. It was written in multiple third person narrative. Setting of affluent area of London and community was interesting to read. Plot was character driven and I liked how it started.
Though story revolved around Marcia and her life, we actually know her through secondary characters.
Along with Marcia we meet many secondary characters who were related to her past. It was surprising they all lived in the same area and had same social circle, were even in touch with her husband and yet she somehow made it possible to keep her past secret. That was a bit unbelievable and didn’t surprise me with what happened.
Some turns were well written some I could easily see coming.
Main thing I didn’t like was the repetitiveness. Maybe because of multiple perspective. Every character was telling their side of story along with Marcia’s past and how they were related to her, then detectives trying to deduce who was the murderer… it all made the facts repetitive throughout the book.
There was no character depth. I didn’t feel anything for any of them. They made me annoyed or roll my eyes most of the time, even those detectives.
I think in first 25-30% of the book revealed so much about Marcia that I wasn’t much surprised for what came in rest of the book.
I could easily guess who was involved in the murder early in book, when detectives were interviewing characters. It was obvious that person didn’t tell the whole thing and waving flag to reader I’m involved. And it was really cliched.
Overall, The Matchmaker was fast paced with fabulous beginning but then, for me, it turned out okay. I liked One Fatal Night more than this one. If you like the sound of the book you, go for it.
Read full review on my book blog by following this link - https://booksteacupnreviews.com/2021/...
June 14, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.
This, unusually for me, was a DNF. Only so much 'soulmates' and perfect life stuff I can suffer with before pulling the plug.
This, unusually for me, was a DNF. Only so much 'soulmates' and perfect life stuff I can suffer with before pulling the plug.
April 16, 2021
Absolutely different and well worth the time to read. An enjoyable, full of action to keep your attention.
May 5, 2021
I love Hélene Fermont's writing so I was very keen to read her new book, The Matchmaker which I think is the first book of hers I've read without a Swedish link. I think because I've read some of her other books, I really missed the Scandinavian feel that usually sets Hélene Fermont out from the crowd, however, this is still a good London-based thriller.
There isn't a single likable character in The Matchmaker for a very good reason as it makes all of them prime suspects in blackmail and murder. The story twists and turns and the secrets of Marcia's past are revealed and as much as it's a tangled web, the characters are all quite closely linked; it seems like they all have a past in Brighton and any one of them could blow Marcia's world apart.
The story is told from several different viewpoints and this sometimes caused quite a bit of repetition when characters referred to other characters. It did get a bit annoying and I found myself rolling my eyes every time I saw 'favourite mistress' mentioned. It feels a little bit like an episode recap when you're watching a series but unfortunately there are no skip recap buttons in books. It's not a big issue by any means, just a minor niggle and one that became less noticeable as the story took hold.
Well plotted and very addictive, I couldn't read fast enough to reveal all of the secrets in The Matchmaker. It's a quick and satisfying read filled with surprises.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
There isn't a single likable character in The Matchmaker for a very good reason as it makes all of them prime suspects in blackmail and murder. The story twists and turns and the secrets of Marcia's past are revealed and as much as it's a tangled web, the characters are all quite closely linked; it seems like they all have a past in Brighton and any one of them could blow Marcia's world apart.
The story is told from several different viewpoints and this sometimes caused quite a bit of repetition when characters referred to other characters. It did get a bit annoying and I found myself rolling my eyes every time I saw 'favourite mistress' mentioned. It feels a little bit like an episode recap when you're watching a series but unfortunately there are no skip recap buttons in books. It's not a big issue by any means, just a minor niggle and one that became less noticeable as the story took hold.
Well plotted and very addictive, I couldn't read fast enough to reveal all of the secrets in The Matchmaker. It's a quick and satisfying read filled with surprises.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
June 2, 2021
So in movies where you see the crime boards in police stations and all the lines connecting people, take that and multiply it by 3 and you have this book. Such a wild ride and right when you think nobody else can be connected they throw in another character. The character writing in this was enjoyable to read, you got to get to know each character despite how many there were and you don't often get that in these kind of stories. The dialogue was very theatrical which I LOVED, all the characters spoke their mind and seemed to have no filter so I rarely got frustrated with them which was refreshing.
Marcia Bailey is London's most coveted Matchmaker. She has excelled in her career allowing other services to not even come close. Her marriage is blissful and her clientele sing her praises. You think the woman has it all right? Well it all ends in one phone call threatening to expose her old life in Brighton. Scrambling to appease the anonymous caller's needs she fights to her death to keep her past hidden. With her murder fresh on everyone's minds, two detectives try to piece together the thick webbed group of people to determine who would want an elite matchmaker dead and why?
Thank you to Helene Fermont, West Harbour Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was released April 14th and available for purchase!
Marcia Bailey is London's most coveted Matchmaker. She has excelled in her career allowing other services to not even come close. Her marriage is blissful and her clientele sing her praises. You think the woman has it all right? Well it all ends in one phone call threatening to expose her old life in Brighton. Scrambling to appease the anonymous caller's needs she fights to her death to keep her past hidden. With her murder fresh on everyone's minds, two detectives try to piece together the thick webbed group of people to determine who would want an elite matchmaker dead and why?
Thank you to Helene Fermont, West Harbour Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was released April 14th and available for purchase!
April 16, 2021
"The Matchmaker" was an enjoyable read, with an interesting cast of characters. The story has a lot of twists and turns - I never knew what to expect next! There is plenty to keep you reading, and Hélene Fermont's writing makes it easy to say "just one more chapter". I would very much like to read more of this author's work in the future.
This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion. My thanks to damppebblesblogtours
This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion. My thanks to damppebblesblogtours
June 9, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for
The Matchmaker.
I breezed through this within a few hours not because I enjoyed it, but because I skimmed it. It
It was not good to put it bluntly.
The writing is awful, the tone and style read as immature, like YA, though I don't mean to offend good YA authors.
Character development was poor; all the couples depicted here are 'happily' married and refer to their spouse constantly as 'soul mates' ad nauseam.
Give it a rest!
I think its safe to say the author believes in SOULLL MATESSS.
And, that's fine. I don't disbelieve it, myself. But I don't need to be reminded of it every time a new character (couple) appears on the page boasting about how they found the love of their life and how lucky they are...blah blah blah.
The narrative and dialogue was repetitive and there was constant telling, no showing.
I found it extremely difficult to believe Marcia would have such success as a matchmaker, that she was so alluring that so many men wanted her, and so many years later, she's still on the radar of these men.
I didn't find Marcia alluring or intriguing at all. She was one dimensional, poorly developed and a cliche.
Also, what are the odds she would move into a neighborhood where people from her shady past would all be living in?
I don't believe in coincidence in life or in books.
I disliked the author (any author) using mental illness as an excuse for the violent actions of one of the characters.
The writing is sloppy and misrepresents people suffering with mental illness and how they and the people around them deal with it.
This is one of the reasons why stigma still revolves around people suffering with mental illness.
This is the first and last book I'll ever skim by the author.
I breezed through this within a few hours not because I enjoyed it, but because I skimmed it. It
It was not good to put it bluntly.
The writing is awful, the tone and style read as immature, like YA, though I don't mean to offend good YA authors.
Character development was poor; all the couples depicted here are 'happily' married and refer to their spouse constantly as 'soul mates' ad nauseam.
Give it a rest!
I think its safe to say the author believes in SOULLL MATESSS.
And, that's fine. I don't disbelieve it, myself. But I don't need to be reminded of it every time a new character (couple) appears on the page boasting about how they found the love of their life and how lucky they are...blah blah blah.
The narrative and dialogue was repetitive and there was constant telling, no showing.
I found it extremely difficult to believe Marcia would have such success as a matchmaker, that she was so alluring that so many men wanted her, and so many years later, she's still on the radar of these men.
I didn't find Marcia alluring or intriguing at all. She was one dimensional, poorly developed and a cliche.
Also, what are the odds she would move into a neighborhood where people from her shady past would all be living in?
I don't believe in coincidence in life or in books.
I disliked the author (any author) using mental illness as an excuse for the violent actions of one of the characters.
The writing is sloppy and misrepresents people suffering with mental illness and how they and the people around them deal with it.
This is one of the reasons why stigma still revolves around people suffering with mental illness.
This is the first and last book I'll ever skim by the author.
June 23, 2021
Marcia had the perfect life. A loving husband and a fabulous career as a Matchmaker.
Until....
She received a horrifying phone call that could turn her world upside down.
Then...
She was brutally murdered.
During the investigation the police were piling up suspects as they unraveled the mystery surrounding her death.
The secondary characters lives intertwined with the past and present of Marcia's life.
A fabulous read that will keep you guessing who the murderer is and why with twists and turns
Until....
She received a horrifying phone call that could turn her world upside down.
Then...
She was brutally murdered.
During the investigation the police were piling up suspects as they unraveled the mystery surrounding her death.
The secondary characters lives intertwined with the past and present of Marcia's life.
A fabulous read that will keep you guessing who the murderer is and why with twists and turns
June 22, 2021
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July 21, 2021
I cannot resist a matchmaker story, but The Matchmaker by Hélene Fermont is much much more than that. Set mostly in the rich London neighbourhood of Knitsbridge and Brighton´s expansive world of nightclubs, it revolves mostly around Marcia Bailey´s secret/second life.
´Marcia Bailey was a huge success yet very few people knew the real woman behind the successful facade´. Apparently though, there were many people who knew about her, roaming in her vicinity - geographical and physical, including as business partners and associates of her husband. However, her husband is the last to find out about her real self. After a mysterious call threatening to expose her adventures before she took the current name and the appearance, the situation escalates rapidly and soon she would be found murdered in her own luxurious home.
Instead of getting shorter, the list of potential suspects is permanently expanding. Her life as a very young woman in Brighton involved many men, particularly from one family or having to do with this family. However, the author is diplomatic enough to stop blaming the woman for the men shortcomings. Tracey/Marcia´s problematic background and family history are more relevant than stigmatising her for luring men, particularly one rich man, into her bed. Making accusations is not the real point, in fact. Finding the culprit and understanding his/her reasons it is.
Exploring the web of lies everyone is part thereof kept me interested in the book until the very end. The portrayal of mental health issues, faced by the unfortunate character Charles is one of the most appealing part of the book though. None of the characters are likeable and it seems that everyone is hiding behind a smokescreen of treacherous life episodes. Some weaker than the others, many do lack the basic self respect and are true believers of the idea that money can buy anything, particularly the moral sense. But would you really keep reading a book about perfectly honest and moral people? Are such individuals real, anyway?
I´ve appreciated the diverse cast of characters and the many surprising twists - actually, I´ve been so enthralled by the love story of Marcia and her husband that I didn´t expected the verdict, but that´s stupid me and love stories, I can´t believe they can ever end - but there is something that I´ve resented in this book. I love dialogues, good old dialogues as they gave a lot of spine and flesh to a book, espcially a fast-paced thriller. However, in The Matchmaker, there are mostly background voices who are filling the void regarding the past and the stories between characters. Too much background and monologues for my taste, which renders the writing a bit artificious. I´ve also had the feeling that some of the events are taking place too fast - like the selling of the matchmaking agency so fast after Marcia´s death or the change from rags to to riches of Marcia´s sister, Connie.
As for the matchmaking, there are far more important things to deal with in this story...
Otherwise, if you are looking for an exciting summer read, with plenty of good twists, The Matchmaker is a great choice. Reading good thriller stories is one of my favorite ways to fill my Corona-marked life and anyone fighting to cope with pandemic-related restrictions should follow my example. It gives you the feeling that there are much more terrible things happening than being forced to spend an impressive amount of time within my small four walls.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher part of a book tour, but the opinions are, as usual, my own.
´Marcia Bailey was a huge success yet very few people knew the real woman behind the successful facade´. Apparently though, there were many people who knew about her, roaming in her vicinity - geographical and physical, including as business partners and associates of her husband. However, her husband is the last to find out about her real self. After a mysterious call threatening to expose her adventures before she took the current name and the appearance, the situation escalates rapidly and soon she would be found murdered in her own luxurious home.
Instead of getting shorter, the list of potential suspects is permanently expanding. Her life as a very young woman in Brighton involved many men, particularly from one family or having to do with this family. However, the author is diplomatic enough to stop blaming the woman for the men shortcomings. Tracey/Marcia´s problematic background and family history are more relevant than stigmatising her for luring men, particularly one rich man, into her bed. Making accusations is not the real point, in fact. Finding the culprit and understanding his/her reasons it is.
Exploring the web of lies everyone is part thereof kept me interested in the book until the very end. The portrayal of mental health issues, faced by the unfortunate character Charles is one of the most appealing part of the book though. None of the characters are likeable and it seems that everyone is hiding behind a smokescreen of treacherous life episodes. Some weaker than the others, many do lack the basic self respect and are true believers of the idea that money can buy anything, particularly the moral sense. But would you really keep reading a book about perfectly honest and moral people? Are such individuals real, anyway?
I´ve appreciated the diverse cast of characters and the many surprising twists - actually, I´ve been so enthralled by the love story of Marcia and her husband that I didn´t expected the verdict, but that´s stupid me and love stories, I can´t believe they can ever end - but there is something that I´ve resented in this book. I love dialogues, good old dialogues as they gave a lot of spine and flesh to a book, espcially a fast-paced thriller. However, in The Matchmaker, there are mostly background voices who are filling the void regarding the past and the stories between characters. Too much background and monologues for my taste, which renders the writing a bit artificious. I´ve also had the feeling that some of the events are taking place too fast - like the selling of the matchmaking agency so fast after Marcia´s death or the change from rags to to riches of Marcia´s sister, Connie.
As for the matchmaking, there are far more important things to deal with in this story...
Otherwise, if you are looking for an exciting summer read, with plenty of good twists, The Matchmaker is a great choice. Reading good thriller stories is one of my favorite ways to fill my Corona-marked life and anyone fighting to cope with pandemic-related restrictions should follow my example. It gives you the feeling that there are much more terrible things happening than being forced to spend an impressive amount of time within my small four walls.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher part of a book tour, but the opinions are, as usual, my own.
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July 16, 2021Title: The Matchmaker
Author: Helene Fermont
Publisher: West Harbour Books
Pages: 286
A huge thank you to the author, West Harbour Books and Random Things Tours for allowing me to read and review.
Synopsis:
Marcia Bailey has everything most people would desire. A marriage full of passion, she has fame and she is successful at being London’s premier Matchmaker. She has the perfect house and she can take exotic holidays anytime she wants. But a perfect life can soon turn into a nightmare. A mysterious called soon turns Marcia’s life upside down when they threaten to reveal secrets from her past that she wants to keep hidden. She is will to pay 3 million to keep them quiet, but the money does not matter to them, they are determined to hurt and humiliate her and they will go to any lengths to do so.
Review:
I have to say I found the front cover to be very striking, meaning this book instantly caught my attention, the description then teased that there could be lots to sink your teeth into which made me eager to uncover the secrets of this book.
The story kicks right off and you are thrown into the action straight away, personally, I’d have loved to have found out more about Marcia before the story kicked off, however for those who like to be thrown straight into a story, this does just that.
You don’t have to wait long for the twists and turns to begin and once they do, they are constantly around every corner and some of the events were definitely unexpected. Some parts I struggled to imagine and I did guess the final twist, however don’t let this put you off as I have read many psychological thrillers so I’m getting good and working things out.
There are many characters in this story and at times I did struggle to get my head around who was who, but the more characters meant plenty betrayal and backstabbing and I liked that I really didn’t know who could be trusted.
This is definitely a plot that has you guessing, you are constantly thinking throughout as to where the story would go. It is evident in here that the author definitely likes to keep her readers on their toes.
Author: Helene Fermont
Publisher: West Harbour Books
Pages: 286
A huge thank you to the author, West Harbour Books and Random Things Tours for allowing me to read and review.
Synopsis:
Marcia Bailey has everything most people would desire. A marriage full of passion, she has fame and she is successful at being London’s premier Matchmaker. She has the perfect house and she can take exotic holidays anytime she wants. But a perfect life can soon turn into a nightmare. A mysterious called soon turns Marcia’s life upside down when they threaten to reveal secrets from her past that she wants to keep hidden. She is will to pay 3 million to keep them quiet, but the money does not matter to them, they are determined to hurt and humiliate her and they will go to any lengths to do so.
Review:
I have to say I found the front cover to be very striking, meaning this book instantly caught my attention, the description then teased that there could be lots to sink your teeth into which made me eager to uncover the secrets of this book.
The story kicks right off and you are thrown into the action straight away, personally, I’d have loved to have found out more about Marcia before the story kicked off, however for those who like to be thrown straight into a story, this does just that.
You don’t have to wait long for the twists and turns to begin and once they do, they are constantly around every corner and some of the events were definitely unexpected. Some parts I struggled to imagine and I did guess the final twist, however don’t let this put you off as I have read many psychological thrillers so I’m getting good and working things out.
There are many characters in this story and at times I did struggle to get my head around who was who, but the more characters meant plenty betrayal and backstabbing and I liked that I really didn’t know who could be trusted.
This is definitely a plot that has you guessing, you are constantly thinking throughout as to where the story would go. It is evident in here that the author definitely likes to keep her readers on their toes.
July 25, 2021
The Matchmaker by Hélene Fermont is a quite addictive read. Good job it isn't an overly large book as I just read and read until I really had to put my kindle down and get on with other stuff.
We are introduced to Marcia, a woman known as 'The Matchmaker'. This is because she has successfully matched up couples and now owns a successful business that is dedicated to matching people up. Marcia, on the surface, has her own perfect marriage, but as the story begins to unfold we find there is a hidden depth to this woman and she is keeping her own secrets from her past.
I was hooked from the start and as the chapters flew by, so did the twists, turns and the unexpected. Hélene Fermont, for me, has delivered another story that had me guessing most of the way. Almost every character had their own secrets to keep and I must say that alone had me wondering which of them could be trusted? I was fully immersed in this world and as I said couldn't put it down until I had no choice.
This enthralling and addictive read has been skillfully woven together with lies, secrets, suprises, twists and turns. It has you guessing even as the truths begin to emerge. These are a set of very questionable characters that is for sure. Another entertaining and intriguing read from Hélene Fermont, I am looking forward to what she does next.
Thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and Hélene Fermont for the copy of the book.
We are introduced to Marcia, a woman known as 'The Matchmaker'. This is because she has successfully matched up couples and now owns a successful business that is dedicated to matching people up. Marcia, on the surface, has her own perfect marriage, but as the story begins to unfold we find there is a hidden depth to this woman and she is keeping her own secrets from her past.
I was hooked from the start and as the chapters flew by, so did the twists, turns and the unexpected. Hélene Fermont, for me, has delivered another story that had me guessing most of the way. Almost every character had their own secrets to keep and I must say that alone had me wondering which of them could be trusted? I was fully immersed in this world and as I said couldn't put it down until I had no choice.
This enthralling and addictive read has been skillfully woven together with lies, secrets, suprises, twists and turns. It has you guessing even as the truths begin to emerge. These are a set of very questionable characters that is for sure. Another entertaining and intriguing read from Hélene Fermont, I am looking forward to what she does next.
Thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and Hélene Fermont for the copy of the book.
June 29, 2021
The Matchmaker
Written by: Hélene Fermont
3.75 star rating
The Matchmaker is a suspense/thriller; the focus of the book is the main character Marcia Bailey. Marcia has owned her matchmaking agency for approximately 27 years. She is known as the number one matchmaker especially for the rich and famous. Marcia herself has been married to Marcus and they are known to have a happy marriage. But with the present comes a past and Marcia has quite the past, a past she has hidden from her husband.
Author Fermont builds up the tension when Marcia receives a phone call that could end up changing her life. It’s shortly after that events begin to happen that will take the story on a wild ride.
The premise behind the story is what I look for in a suspense/thriller read. There are different story lines that play off the first major event in the book. Those story lines tend to get a bit blurred as new characters who are players in the follow-up sometimes get lost in the reoccurring explanations about their knowledge of Marcia Bailey. It is easy to get confused. If one pushes through they do get rewarded with a few surprises and retribution on Marcia’s behalf.
If you’re willing to give it a chance and work your way around the back-stories and explanations you find out a lot of things about Marcia Bailey.
Written by: Hélene Fermont
3.75 star rating
The Matchmaker is a suspense/thriller; the focus of the book is the main character Marcia Bailey. Marcia has owned her matchmaking agency for approximately 27 years. She is known as the number one matchmaker especially for the rich and famous. Marcia herself has been married to Marcus and they are known to have a happy marriage. But with the present comes a past and Marcia has quite the past, a past she has hidden from her husband.
Author Fermont builds up the tension when Marcia receives a phone call that could end up changing her life. It’s shortly after that events begin to happen that will take the story on a wild ride.
The premise behind the story is what I look for in a suspense/thriller read. There are different story lines that play off the first major event in the book. Those story lines tend to get a bit blurred as new characters who are players in the follow-up sometimes get lost in the reoccurring explanations about their knowledge of Marcia Bailey. It is easy to get confused. If one pushes through they do get rewarded with a few surprises and retribution on Marcia’s behalf.
If you’re willing to give it a chance and work your way around the back-stories and explanations you find out a lot of things about Marcia Bailey.
July 14, 2021
So many suspects and almost any one of them had motive and opportunity. How will the police solve this intriguing case involving celebrity matchmaker Marcia Bailey?
But is anyone who they say they are? More than one person is lying and Marcia is the worst of them all. Because she’s not really Marcia Bailey is she, but not even devoted husband Marcus knows the truth. What’s more, he believes their strong marriage is based on total honesty and no secrets. The problem is that everyone else seems to know and there are those ready and willing to spill the beans, especially if there’s a large sum of money and blackmail involved, not to mention revenge. And there are a lot of beans to spill, but I won’t give anything away.
In fact most of Marcia’s so-called friends are nasty enough to commit murder, but who do we believe? I stopped trying to work it out – best to just go with the flow and watch them incriminate themselves one by one.
There are plenty of twists and turns, especially where the characters are concerned. Those we dislike initially might turn out to be OK in the end and those we like – well they turn out to be capable of murder.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours.
But is anyone who they say they are? More than one person is lying and Marcia is the worst of them all. Because she’s not really Marcia Bailey is she, but not even devoted husband Marcus knows the truth. What’s more, he believes their strong marriage is based on total honesty and no secrets. The problem is that everyone else seems to know and there are those ready and willing to spill the beans, especially if there’s a large sum of money and blackmail involved, not to mention revenge. And there are a lot of beans to spill, but I won’t give anything away.
In fact most of Marcia’s so-called friends are nasty enough to commit murder, but who do we believe? I stopped trying to work it out – best to just go with the flow and watch them incriminate themselves one by one.
There are plenty of twists and turns, especially where the characters are concerned. Those we dislike initially might turn out to be OK in the end and those we like – well they turn out to be capable of murder.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours.
June 30, 2021
Our girl Marcia, is a successful matchmaker who seems to have the perfect marriage, but we all know looks can be deceiving can't we?! There's more to her than meets the eye so I found myself turning pages pretty quickly to get my questions answered since I had quite a few of them. The twists are coming in hot which took me in all different directions, some I figured out, while others I didn't see coming. That whole blackmail & murder situation going on made me suspicious of everyone which is a great place for me to be to be honest since I'm all about suspense/mystery. My big issue is the fact that there was a lot of repetition in the telling of this story which distracted me from the overall storyline but that's just me. And that's all that I'm going to say about this story since I wouldn't want to give anything major away so hit those one click buttons! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
October 14, 2021
The Matchmaker was a mystery thriller that revolved around a matchmaker to the stars, Marcia Bailey, who got her perfect life at an enormous cost. This book was about the drive to leave an abusive, horrible past for a life of wealth and success, the trust between husband and wife as well as with friends, lies, betrayal, past mistakes, and most of all secrets, obsession, and hatred.
Marcia and Marcus had the perfect life and marriage. Their friends Luella and Tom had the perfect family. How could anything destroy both? Well you have to read the book to find out but I can affirm that it was a wild ride and everything you thought is wrong. A very good read. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Fermont's works. One caveat, there is domestic violence in parts of this story that may trigger some people so be prepared.
Marcia and Marcus had the perfect life and marriage. Their friends Luella and Tom had the perfect family. How could anything destroy both? Well you have to read the book to find out but I can affirm that it was a wild ride and everything you thought is wrong. A very good read. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Fermont's works. One caveat, there is domestic violence in parts of this story that may trigger some people so be prepared.
November 27, 2021
Marcia left a life full of secrets, bad decisions and toxic relationships behind to start a new life in London as a matchmaker, and soon meet the love of her life and get married.
But now 25 years after her past threatens to destroy her life, she has started getting calls blackmailing her and she doesn't know who may be behind it.
As you progress through the book you realize that what seemed like perfect lives from the outside were not, that this woman was surrounded by people, but she was alone since she did not trust anyone.
As for the rest of the characters, it seems that all at one point or another could have reasons for wanting to end the matchmaker, especially to keep their own secrets safe.
I liked it a lot.
But now 25 years after her past threatens to destroy her life, she has started getting calls blackmailing her and she doesn't know who may be behind it.
As you progress through the book you realize that what seemed like perfect lives from the outside were not, that this woman was surrounded by people, but she was alone since she did not trust anyone.
As for the rest of the characters, it seems that all at one point or another could have reasons for wanting to end the matchmaker, especially to keep their own secrets safe.
I liked it a lot.
April 16, 2021
This author gives us one solid character to get into. That was good for me since this is also the first time in reading this author. Marcia you could say could not want for anything and is a famous matchmaker. Some would say the perfect life. Of course nothing stays perfect usually and it does take a 360 degree turn for Marcia when a unknown begins causing terror with phone calls knowing secrets. Oh those dangerous secrets sometimes can cause murder as it does in this. So having become more than a willing audience that is not leaving anytime soon. As a reader you really have to know what are all the secrets and will it stay shattered? You quickly turn the pages to find out.
July 21, 2021
Marcia Bailey seems to have it all. She runs her own matchmaking service in London which has become successful and given her fame and fortune, she has a beautiful home and is in a happy, passionate marriage. However, Marcia is hiding her past from her husband, friends and clients. Marcia thought she’d left her past behind in Brighton when she moved to London to start a new life with a new name. But then overnight her perfect life turns into a nightmare when a new client threatens to reveal her secrets if she doesn’t pay him three million pounds to keep quiet. But Marcia feels like the mysterious Mr Bond wants more than just money from her. So when there is a brutal murder the police have to untangle a web of lies surrounding Marcia and the many wealthy and powerful men she’s mixed up with who all have their own secrets to keep.
The Matchmaker was a quick paced, thrilling read and so at less than three hundred pages I had this devoured within a day! There were so many unexpected twists throughout the story. Every time I thought I knew what was going on and what would happen next the author seemed to put in another twist which left me guessing until the very end. There are a lot of characters in this story and I have to admit none of them were likeable! But that just made them look all the more guilty of murder and blackmail. My only niggle would be that at times I found the dialogue a little stilted and unnatural but the well written narrative made up for that.
The Matchmaker was a quick paced, thrilling read and so at less than three hundred pages I had this devoured within a day! There were so many unexpected twists throughout the story. Every time I thought I knew what was going on and what would happen next the author seemed to put in another twist which left me guessing until the very end. There are a lot of characters in this story and I have to admit none of them were likeable! But that just made them look all the more guilty of murder and blackmail. My only niggle would be that at times I found the dialogue a little stilted and unnatural but the well written narrative made up for that.
July 15, 2021
The book started innocently enough, but quickly took a turn into the darker. There were plenty of twists to keep me reading, and I can't say I really liked any of the characters - but I don't think I was meant to. There were a few things that got repetitive, and I tried to skim those parts. I did appreciate seeing the different view points, and trying to piece together the clues to see who was behind everything. Overall, an enjoyable book that will keep you reading, and make you reluctant to set it down.
May 7, 2021
The concept was interesting but I found it’s execution a bit weak. There were a lot of characters but they were not well developed and there were far too many coincidental links between them. The writing style was somewhat stilted and the dialogue did not seem realistic, especially when the characters were in stressful situations. I think this will appeal to many but it was just not to my taste.
May 23, 2021
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.
The Matchmaker is a mystery - who killed Marcia Bailey, The Matchmaker? The list is long once the investigators start delving into her past. Her secret past that even her husband was not aware of.
There are so many twists, turns, and surprises, that I do not want to give away any. The book is an enjoyable read and hard to put down. I wanted to know what twist came next!
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
The Matchmaker is a mystery - who killed Marcia Bailey, The Matchmaker? The list is long once the investigators start delving into her past. Her secret past that even her husband was not aware of.
There are so many twists, turns, and surprises, that I do not want to give away any. The book is an enjoyable read and hard to put down. I wanted to know what twist came next!
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
May 12, 2021
I liked the plot of The Matchmaker, but I didn't enjoy the book as much as I hoped I would. I didn't like the writing style, and a lot of the dialogue sounded unnatural and unrealistic, which made it difficult for me to relate to the characters or care about what happened to them. Thanks to NetGalley and West Harbour Books for the advance reader copy.
May 13, 2021
I had high hopes for this book. The summary sounded interesting, but the execution was lacking. There were too many characters and they were very underdeveloped. There was no depth to the book, and the plot seemed to be pushed forward by excessive and extremely repetitive dialogue. The dialogue seemed forced and unrealistic. I found myself just waiting to finish the book.
May 21, 2021
I was drawn to this book after reading the description. The short chapters make this a page turning quick read! Would have enjoyed further development of characters introduced, but overall found the plot interesting and fast paced. Note: I received an ARC of this book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2021
I found the matchmaker to be quite an enjoyable mystery thriller. It kept me on edge and it was good to wonder who was the killer. The characters are likeable enough and the writing is quite adequate. There’s twists and turns throughout the book but I feel like one of the mysteries was not sufficiently revealed.
I haven’t read any other books from this author before but I certainly do plan on reading more
I haven’t read any other books from this author before but I certainly do plan on reading more
July 8, 2021
An intricate book with lots of different characters all weaves together.
It took me a while to understand who was who and how everyone knew each other. But once I did the story unravelled itself.
A whodunnit where everyone has a motive to kill.
I really disliked Charlie and how he used his mental health issues to excuse his bad behaviour.
It took me a while to understand who was who and how everyone knew each other. But once I did the story unravelled itself.
A whodunnit where everyone has a motive to kill.
I really disliked Charlie and how he used his mental health issues to excuse his bad behaviour.
May 7, 2021
Thankyou Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Matchmaker by Helene Fermont. I really enjoyed the twists in this book. I was immediately interested in the description. I did feel that some of the characters were underdeveloped. But overall, I enjoyed the read.
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