What do you think?
Rate this book
A Voice in the Night
Listening Length 7 hours and 48 minutes
Following a bitter separation, Lucie moves to London to take up a position with a prestigious law firm. It seems an optimistic new beginning, until one day she receives a hand delivered note with the strange words: At last I’ve found you. A shock I ‘m sure. But in time I‘ll explain. Martin.
Lucie hasn’t forgotten a man called Martin who was tragically killed twenty years ago in the 9/11 attacks. When she was working in New York as a young intern Lucie had fallen in love with him and he vowed to leave his wife to be with her permanently.
As an inexplicable series of events occur Lucie wonders if her long-dead lover could have staged his own disappearance under the cover of that fateful day. Or could it be that someone else is stalking her, or that her vivid imagination is playing tricks?
In a novel filled with compelling characters, and set in London, New York and Sydney, it seems that anyone could be out to sabotage Lucie’s memories and ambitions, including herself.
A Voice in the Night is an addictive thriller of twists and turns, a gripping and emotionally resonant debut from a striking new voice.
Following a bitter separation, Lucie moves to London to take up a position with a prestigious law firm. It seems an optimistic new beginning, until one day she receives a hand delivered note with the strange words: At last I’ve found you. A shock I ‘m sure. But in time I‘ll explain. Martin.
Lucie hasn’t forgotten a man called Martin who was tragically killed twenty years ago in the 9/11 attacks. When she was working in New York as a young intern Lucie had fallen in love with him and he vowed to leave his wife to be with her permanently.
As an inexplicable series of events occur Lucie wonders if her long-dead lover could have staged his own disappearance under the cover of that fateful day. Or could it be that someone else is stalking her, or that her vivid imagination is playing tricks?
In a novel filled with compelling characters, and set in London, New York and Sydney, it seems that anyone could be out to sabotage Lucie’s memories and ambitions, including herself.
A Voice in the Night is an addictive thriller of twists and turns, a gripping and emotionally resonant debut from a striking new voice.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published July 1, 2021
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 9, 2021
For most of this novel I was planning on giving it 3 stars - Lucie was a strangely unlikeable heroine, who kept reaching out to the men in her life with her problems and then being offended when they tried to help her. She had appalling and indiscriminate taste in men and was somehow able to afford a cottage in Fulham on a salaried partner's wages. The solicitors' firm she worked for featured a receptionist who seemed to more or less manage the office, presumably while also answering the phone and manning the front desk. I was taking all that in my stride and then came the ending, which was extremely over the top and at the same time meant that in retrospect the whole plot was a lot of fuss over not very much.
This should also be filed in the category of novels where a woman's home is continually interfered with while she is out, but she doesn't get the locks changed - why?
This should also be filed in the category of novels where a woman's home is continually interfered with while she is out, but she doesn't get the locks changed - why?
July 4, 2021
A Voice in the Night by Sarah Hawthorn has a premise that immediately hooked me in. In 2001, Lucie was an intern at a New York law firm having an affair with a married man. Martin was planning on leaving his wife to be with Lucie but after heading off to the World Trade Centre on the morning of the 9/11 attacks, she never saw him again and grieved his loss deeply.
Twenty years later, Lucie is working at a prestigious law firm in London when she receives a note:
"At last I've found you. A shock I'm sure. But in time I'll explain. Martin"
Woah! That was it, I was completely hooked and had to read this book. In January this year, I read The World of PostSecret by Frank Warren and was haunted by this secret: "Everyone who knew me before 9/11 believes I'm dead."
I've since learned that people have been known to use a natural disaster or major incident as an opportunity to disappear, essentially faking their own deaths in order to start a new life somewhere else. This still fascinates me, so how timely to come across this debut novel exploring the possibility of just that. Does Lucie have a stalker or is Martin really back from the dead after faking his own disappearance?
Set in London, New York and Sydney, Lucie's career situation, friendships and her casual love interests propel the story along making it very readable.
A Voice in the Night is a domestic thriller with a few twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming. Ultimately, I wanted the story to go a certain way and it didn't, so for that reason, it wasn't a full five star read for me. A Voice in the Night by Australian author Sarah Hawthorn is a solid debut for domestic thriller fans.
* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *
Twenty years later, Lucie is working at a prestigious law firm in London when she receives a note:
"At last I've found you. A shock I'm sure. But in time I'll explain. Martin"
Woah! That was it, I was completely hooked and had to read this book. In January this year, I read The World of PostSecret by Frank Warren and was haunted by this secret: "Everyone who knew me before 9/11 believes I'm dead."
I've since learned that people have been known to use a natural disaster or major incident as an opportunity to disappear, essentially faking their own deaths in order to start a new life somewhere else. This still fascinates me, so how timely to come across this debut novel exploring the possibility of just that. Does Lucie have a stalker or is Martin really back from the dead after faking his own disappearance?
Set in London, New York and Sydney, Lucie's career situation, friendships and her casual love interests propel the story along making it very readable.
A Voice in the Night is a domestic thriller with a few twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming. Ultimately, I wanted the story to go a certain way and it didn't, so for that reason, it wasn't a full five star read for me. A Voice in the Night by Australian author Sarah Hawthorn is a solid debut for domestic thriller fans.
* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *
May 18, 2021
A Voice in the Night is a gripping, action-packed, debut thriller by Australian author, Sarah Hawthorn. The novel shifts between the past and the present and is set in New York, London, and Sydney.
Lucie was a young, stunning law intern in a New York City firm. She was madly in love with Martin, an older, married man who promised to leave his wife to be with Lucie – forever. On a mild and beautiful autumn morning, the lovers said good-bye and parted ways to begin their work day. Martin was planning a perfect dinner for them that evening at an exquisite restaurant. Lucie’s mind raced at the possible reasons for such a special night. She hoped that Martin was ready to take the next steps in planning their future together, and he wanted to celebrate. Lucie was so looking forward to that night and everything it could bring.
But there was a problem. It was September 11, 2001, and Martin never returned from work that day.
Twenty years later, Lucie is now a lawyer at a prestigious, demanding law firm in London. Her stressful professional life keeps her busy, but Lucie’s personal life never quite solidified in the years following Martin’s death. She finds herself in dead-end relationships, including an unhappy marriage that ended with a divorce and a bitter ex-husband. She begins dating Jonathan, a quiet, oddly anxious younger man with a loaded history of his own. She also spends time with Alan, her free spirited but arrogant sexual partner. Then, out of the blue, a mysterious letter arrives – a letter signed by her long deceased lover, Martin. After the letter comes expensive gifts – and phone calls from somebody claiming to be Martin. Either somebody is playing cruel mind games with Lucie, or Martin staged his own death, is still alive, and wants to find her again. With her sanity put to the test, Lucie goes on a quest to find answers. She soon discovers that their affair wasn’t Martin’s only secret, and she must now face a painful new reality about the man she loved and thought she knew.
I enjoyed A Voice in the Night and was taken in by Hawthorn’s writing style. The multiple themes make this book relatable to everybody; terrorism, epic tragedy, infidelity, marriage and relationships, sex and promiscuity, mental illness, substance abuse, loss, sexual harassment in the workplace, and on and on. This novel has it all, and Hawthorn presents these sensitive topics meaningfully, honestly, tactfully, and appropriately.
A Voice in the Night offers a wide range of intriguing and well-developed characters, each of them adding substance to the plot line in varied ways. My feelings about Lucie’s character shifted throughout the book. Initially, I didn’t like her selfish immaturity, especially when she got into her forties and was still acting like a twenty-something. However, I was able to sympathize with her later on. Hawthorn injected subtle undercurrents of the far-reaching, disastrous psychological consequences that September 11th had on a young woman just starting out in life. Unable to evolve beyond the trauma, Lucie remained frozen in time – her personal growth forever stunted and defined by that fateful event. Hawthorn did a brilliant job of capturing the long-term ramifications of a young woman’s emotional trauma, and how one’s past transgressions can come back to haunt them.
I loved how this novel stretched across three different parts of the world and spanned twenty years, both of which provided depth to the plot and imagery, and added complexity to the mystery. The multiple settings and time shifts were well organized, flowed smoothly and didn’t interfere with the clarity of the plot. Throughout the novel, Hawthorn highlights the complicated nature of love and family, transgressions and secrets – and what people will do for those they love. Hawthorn’s ability to pull the reader into the moods, the tension and suspense, made me want to keep reading. A Voice in the Night is an extremely well-written, fast-paced, twisting roller-coaster ride of lies, secrets and the price of deception. The rising tension culminates to two (yes two) explosive shockers at the very end, and I never would have predicted either one. This debut novel lingers long after it is finished, and I think it would make a phenomenal movie. I have added a new name to my favorite authors list, and I am eager to read more from Sarah Hawthorn. I highly recommend this chilling psychological thriller to adult readers.
Release date July 1 2021. I requested and was provided with an advanced copy to write a review. thecozybookblog.com
Lucie was a young, stunning law intern in a New York City firm. She was madly in love with Martin, an older, married man who promised to leave his wife to be with Lucie – forever. On a mild and beautiful autumn morning, the lovers said good-bye and parted ways to begin their work day. Martin was planning a perfect dinner for them that evening at an exquisite restaurant. Lucie’s mind raced at the possible reasons for such a special night. She hoped that Martin was ready to take the next steps in planning their future together, and he wanted to celebrate. Lucie was so looking forward to that night and everything it could bring.
But there was a problem. It was September 11, 2001, and Martin never returned from work that day.
Twenty years later, Lucie is now a lawyer at a prestigious, demanding law firm in London. Her stressful professional life keeps her busy, but Lucie’s personal life never quite solidified in the years following Martin’s death. She finds herself in dead-end relationships, including an unhappy marriage that ended with a divorce and a bitter ex-husband. She begins dating Jonathan, a quiet, oddly anxious younger man with a loaded history of his own. She also spends time with Alan, her free spirited but arrogant sexual partner. Then, out of the blue, a mysterious letter arrives – a letter signed by her long deceased lover, Martin. After the letter comes expensive gifts – and phone calls from somebody claiming to be Martin. Either somebody is playing cruel mind games with Lucie, or Martin staged his own death, is still alive, and wants to find her again. With her sanity put to the test, Lucie goes on a quest to find answers. She soon discovers that their affair wasn’t Martin’s only secret, and she must now face a painful new reality about the man she loved and thought she knew.
I enjoyed A Voice in the Night and was taken in by Hawthorn’s writing style. The multiple themes make this book relatable to everybody; terrorism, epic tragedy, infidelity, marriage and relationships, sex and promiscuity, mental illness, substance abuse, loss, sexual harassment in the workplace, and on and on. This novel has it all, and Hawthorn presents these sensitive topics meaningfully, honestly, tactfully, and appropriately.
A Voice in the Night offers a wide range of intriguing and well-developed characters, each of them adding substance to the plot line in varied ways. My feelings about Lucie’s character shifted throughout the book. Initially, I didn’t like her selfish immaturity, especially when she got into her forties and was still acting like a twenty-something. However, I was able to sympathize with her later on. Hawthorn injected subtle undercurrents of the far-reaching, disastrous psychological consequences that September 11th had on a young woman just starting out in life. Unable to evolve beyond the trauma, Lucie remained frozen in time – her personal growth forever stunted and defined by that fateful event. Hawthorn did a brilliant job of capturing the long-term ramifications of a young woman’s emotional trauma, and how one’s past transgressions can come back to haunt them.
I loved how this novel stretched across three different parts of the world and spanned twenty years, both of which provided depth to the plot and imagery, and added complexity to the mystery. The multiple settings and time shifts were well organized, flowed smoothly and didn’t interfere with the clarity of the plot. Throughout the novel, Hawthorn highlights the complicated nature of love and family, transgressions and secrets – and what people will do for those they love. Hawthorn’s ability to pull the reader into the moods, the tension and suspense, made me want to keep reading. A Voice in the Night is an extremely well-written, fast-paced, twisting roller-coaster ride of lies, secrets and the price of deception. The rising tension culminates to two (yes two) explosive shockers at the very end, and I never would have predicted either one. This debut novel lingers long after it is finished, and I think it would make a phenomenal movie. I have added a new name to my favorite authors list, and I am eager to read more from Sarah Hawthorn. I highly recommend this chilling psychological thriller to adult readers.
Release date July 1 2021. I requested and was provided with an advanced copy to write a review. thecozybookblog.com
September 15, 2021
A bloody good read. Immersive and well plotted crime novel with some great twists and turns. It was a very satisfying and delicious read.
February 16, 2022
I was snorting in disbelief at the twenty percent point, and gave myself the gift of just reading the ending instead of bothering any further. I am so relieved I didn’t persevere any longer with this stabby, overblown, melodrama. The ending was dreadful but so was the first twenty percent.
September 8, 2021
There is much to admire about Sarah Hawthorn’s debut novel, A Voice in the Night. Her taut prose and a first-person narrative that alternates between time periods – September 2001 New York and Present Day London – steadily ratchets up the tension levels. And her enigmatic, at times spiky and unpredictable protagonist Lucie, and her romantic entanglements keep readers guessing… our sympathies and alliances constantly shifting.
This novel is not quite a ‘literary’ thriller, the focus on character reliability (or otherwise) and the entwining mystery plot rather than prose styling. But A Voice in the Night goes far deeper than most psychological thrillers in its nuanced exploration of the potential long-term and lasting impacts of grief. Read full review and author interview >> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/...
This novel is not quite a ‘literary’ thriller, the focus on character reliability (or otherwise) and the entwining mystery plot rather than prose styling. But A Voice in the Night goes far deeper than most psychological thrillers in its nuanced exploration of the potential long-term and lasting impacts of grief. Read full review and author interview >> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/...
April 20, 2021
'A Voice In The Night', Sarah Hawthorn's debut thriller, has enough twists and turns to keep you reading long into the night.
Lucie’s lover, Martin, died in 9/11. Twenty years later, she receives a note, signed Martin, suggesting he used the confusion and chaos following that fateful day as an opportunity to disappear. But why doesn’t he reveal himself? Is someone playing with her mind? Or is she conjuring Martin from her imagination?
In a story that moves between London, New York and Sydney, Sarah keeps us guessing right until the last page.
Note, I was given an ARC for this review.
Lucie’s lover, Martin, died in 9/11. Twenty years later, she receives a note, signed Martin, suggesting he used the confusion and chaos following that fateful day as an opportunity to disappear. But why doesn’t he reveal himself? Is someone playing with her mind? Or is she conjuring Martin from her imagination?
In a story that moves between London, New York and Sydney, Sarah keeps us guessing right until the last page.
Note, I was given an ARC for this review.
May 16, 2021
Privileged to read an advance copy of this page-turner. Great psychological thriller with compelling characters. Terrific to see a mature woman as protagonist dealing with personal and professional challenges while in the middle of an increasingly scary woman-in-jeopardy plot.
I kept going back to read it even while I should have been doing other things - just had to know what happened! An accomplished, enthralling read which will appeal to anyone who liked The Woman in the Window.
Highly recommended, with a great twist at the end.
I kept going back to read it even while I should have been doing other things - just had to know what happened! An accomplished, enthralling read which will appeal to anyone who liked The Woman in the Window.
Highly recommended, with a great twist at the end.
May 26, 2021
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Sarah Hawthorn's debut novel!
A Voice In The Night is filled with complex and compelling characters, especially the main protagonist, Lucie. I loved that the timelines switched between 9/11 and the present day, and settings raced between New York, London and Sydney.
Is Lucie's believed to be long-dead lover really alive? Is he stalking her? Is someone else stalking her? Or is it all in Lucie's imagination?
A gripping thriller, with twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing until the end.
Highly recommended!
A Voice In The Night is filled with complex and compelling characters, especially the main protagonist, Lucie. I loved that the timelines switched between 9/11 and the present day, and settings raced between New York, London and Sydney.
Is Lucie's believed to be long-dead lover really alive? Is he stalking her? Is someone else stalking her? Or is it all in Lucie's imagination?
A gripping thriller, with twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing until the end.
Highly recommended!
August 4, 2023
This was pretty terrible. The main character is unlikeable as she makes absolutely awful, incomprehensible decisions despite being a highly successful lawyer. This is a mess and really needed a better editor. (Note: don’t have a character knowledgeable about wine “unscrew” the cap of a CALIFORNIAN red). The sole twist that took me by surprise was out of either sheer boredom or how outlandish it was.
October 13, 2021
This is a quick easy read. Although the writing is good the plot is too far fetched for me. Lucie is depicted as a smart savvy lawyer yet the choices she made regarding relationships, and continuing to work with a man who sexually harasses and bullies her were at odds with this. Her behaviour was frustrating and unconvincing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2021
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of the book to review. I loved this nail-biting psychological drama. A must read on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, with the plot wrapped around the tragedy of that historical event. And you won’t see the plot twist coming.
July 17, 2021
It certainly is a page turner! I loved the book and thought it was SO well written I loved that there was nothing confusing about the different personalities- they were very well drawn. I could relate to Lucie and feel her fear, The tension built up gradually and the ending was a surprise, so it all worked for me.
I thought the sex scenes were just right and really essential to the story and I’m looking forward to the next book.
I thought the sex scenes were just right and really essential to the story and I’m looking forward to the next book.
June 3, 2021
A fantastic read - somehow a Romance, Thriller and Detective story all in one. It keeps you interested from beginning to end, following the trials and tribulations of Lucie, the lawyer, taking you through her past and present, her life and loves, all set across the cityscapes of New York, London and Sydney.
Hawthorn's writing is superb and she has created a masterly story of intrigue, excitement and just the right amount of love, jealousy and madness. Well worth the read.
Hawthorn's writing is superb and she has created a masterly story of intrigue, excitement and just the right amount of love, jealousy and madness. Well worth the read.
June 8, 2024
imagine someone wrote a memoir about their boring tinder dates that were practically all just prolonged one night stands.... throwing in a plot twist and calling it a day does not make the whole book worthwhile at all.
November 4, 2026
Nice easy read, with good red herrings and plot twists. Great first novel by this author.
September 3, 2021
Thank you to Pamela Cook - author for my copy.
3.5 stars.
This book was a fast read and had me hooked. There is definite tension and creepy moments, a sleazy boss, strange and sexy love interests and sex. Not too much sex, but enough to make the story juicy without being a sex novel. The story is well written and kept me guessing for quite a while on what was happening. I guessed who one character really was, but still didn't guess the other parts of the complex story. I liked the references to 9/11 and how some people used this period in history to fake their own deaths and disappear, very interesting! The book bounces between 2001, current day, New York, London and Australia.
The downfall for me was the ending. It was a fast, scary, climatic ending but didn't sit well with me as it was a bit far fetched as who one character was and it didn't make sense how the two characters pulled it off. Other than that it was a great read.
3.5 stars.
This book was a fast read and had me hooked. There is definite tension and creepy moments, a sleazy boss, strange and sexy love interests and sex. Not too much sex, but enough to make the story juicy without being a sex novel. The story is well written and kept me guessing for quite a while on what was happening. I guessed who one character really was, but still didn't guess the other parts of the complex story. I liked the references to 9/11 and how some people used this period in history to fake their own deaths and disappear, very interesting! The book bounces between 2001, current day, New York, London and Australia.
The downfall for me was the ending. It was a fast, scary, climatic ending but didn't sit well with me as it was a bit far fetched as who one character was and it didn't make sense how the two characters pulled it off. Other than that it was a great read.
April 25, 2026
Frequently wasn’t sure where it was going in the best way, kept me guessing and was addictive. Really good for a debut novel although I’m not really qualified to judge that. Did not at all expect the ending!!
October 14, 2021
I went to Sydney University law school with a Lucinda...ergo a sense of familiarity !
This was an impressively written debut.
The story unravelled and SH did NOT need 400pp to tell the story...some authors just pad the books out ...to satisfy the publisher???
Read it in one sitting outside in the sunshine during ANOTHER day of lockdown !!!!
DAY 255 and counting !!!!
This was an impressively written debut.
The story unravelled and SH did NOT need 400pp to tell the story...some authors just pad the books out ...to satisfy the publisher???
Read it in one sitting outside in the sunshine during ANOTHER day of lockdown !!!!
DAY 255 and counting !!!!
October 3, 2021
The premise behind this book was great,the lover returning from the dead, or has he? I liked the way the tension builds, and how it was hard to trust anyone. I could feel for Lucie as she was surrounded by some pretty unlikable men. Interesting ending, one I didn’t see coming!
June 29, 2021
A rare five because it was a really intriguing story well written
June 14, 2021
I received an ARC copy of 'A Voice in the Night', by Sarah Hawthorn, and thoroughly enjoyed this pacey, psychological thriller. The protagonist, Lucie, takes us on a frightening journey as a past lover, Martin, who she met twenty years ago as a young intern in New York, contacts her with the words, 'At last, I've found you ...' The problem is, her lover is presumed dead in the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11. Did Martin survive and fake his death? Does someone know enough about their relationship to spook her? Or is her unease, a figment of her imagination?
Part of the narrative explores the New York story; part is set in Sydney, her hometown, with the majority taking place in London where she now works in a high-pressured legal firm. With a cast of male characters under suspicion, can Lucie make sense of the increasingly disturbing events occurring in her life and unmask her tormentor? Or, despite all the evidence, is Martin still alive? In answering that question, she discovers he had secrets of his own.
This is a complex story written with skill. The time and location shifts are smooth, the characters interesting and rounded. I liked the authors writing style, which complimented Lucie's personality perfectly. The author hasn't shied away from writing Lucie as a thoroughly modern woman with career and personal challenges who, during the final twists and turns of the plot - unexpected and shocking - proves she's a force to be reckoned with.
Highly recommended.
Part of the narrative explores the New York story; part is set in Sydney, her hometown, with the majority taking place in London where she now works in a high-pressured legal firm. With a cast of male characters under suspicion, can Lucie make sense of the increasingly disturbing events occurring in her life and unmask her tormentor? Or, despite all the evidence, is Martin still alive? In answering that question, she discovers he had secrets of his own.
This is a complex story written with skill. The time and location shifts are smooth, the characters interesting and rounded. I liked the authors writing style, which complimented Lucie's personality perfectly. The author hasn't shied away from writing Lucie as a thoroughly modern woman with career and personal challenges who, during the final twists and turns of the plot - unexpected and shocking - proves she's a force to be reckoned with.
Highly recommended.
August 1, 2021
The debut novel by Sarah Hawthorn, A Voice in the Night (Transit Lounge 2021) is a fast-paced, page-turning psychological mystery. With the story revolving around the tragic events of 9/11 but set today – and with mentions of the recent bushfires and the current pandemic – this book feels very timely and modern.
Australian Lucie had been working in New York as a lawyer and in love with Martin, a married man, when he was killed in the Twin Towers attack. Unable to publicly grieve with his widow around, she moves back to Australia and then, after a long-term relationship has ended acrimoniously, she relocates to the UK to take up an offer with a prestigious law firm. But when she receives a cryptic note with the words ‘At last I’ve found you’, purporting to be from Martin, her life is turned upside-down. Despite the passing of twenty years, Lucie cannot forget her bond with Martin. Is it possible he is alive? Did he fake his own death? But then how could he so callously have left her to grieve alone? As a number of inexplicable events occur, including a series of mysterious phone calls, Lucie begins to either doubt her sanity or looks to the people in her life who might be masquerading as her dead lover to punish her for some reason. Her ex in Australia? The mild-mannered man she has come to rely on? The sexy man who fulfils her desires? The man from her past? Her resentful boss? His secretary? The list is almost endless.
This is a novel full of twists and turns as Lucie attempts to recall her memories and decipher the strange happenings invading her life. There have been several novels that have used 9/11 as a plot device to possibly stage someone’s disappearance, and this one does it well. Sarah is a relatable protagonist and her dilemma becomes increasingly worrying.
The second half of the novel in particular really increases the suspense and tension, with events rushing towards a disturbing climax. The last twist comes out of nowhere. This is an easy and engaging read for those who love a good psychological thriller.
Australian Lucie had been working in New York as a lawyer and in love with Martin, a married man, when he was killed in the Twin Towers attack. Unable to publicly grieve with his widow around, she moves back to Australia and then, after a long-term relationship has ended acrimoniously, she relocates to the UK to take up an offer with a prestigious law firm. But when she receives a cryptic note with the words ‘At last I’ve found you’, purporting to be from Martin, her life is turned upside-down. Despite the passing of twenty years, Lucie cannot forget her bond with Martin. Is it possible he is alive? Did he fake his own death? But then how could he so callously have left her to grieve alone? As a number of inexplicable events occur, including a series of mysterious phone calls, Lucie begins to either doubt her sanity or looks to the people in her life who might be masquerading as her dead lover to punish her for some reason. Her ex in Australia? The mild-mannered man she has come to rely on? The sexy man who fulfils her desires? The man from her past? Her resentful boss? His secretary? The list is almost endless.
This is a novel full of twists and turns as Lucie attempts to recall her memories and decipher the strange happenings invading her life. There have been several novels that have used 9/11 as a plot device to possibly stage someone’s disappearance, and this one does it well. Sarah is a relatable protagonist and her dilemma becomes increasingly worrying.
The second half of the novel in particular really increases the suspense and tension, with events rushing towards a disturbing climax. The last twist comes out of nowhere. This is an easy and engaging read for those who love a good psychological thriller.
September 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. The story was amazing and I loved the twists. The last few chapters kept me up until 1am because I had to know how it ended.
June 20, 2021
Hooked me from the start, totally relatable characters and well written thriller. Recommend
August 7, 2021
Set in three beautiful locations, New York, London and Sydney and written in past and present narratives is the story of Lucie who was once in love with a married man named Martin who was tragically killed in the 9/11 attacks. Fast forward to present day London and Lucie comes home one day to find a letter that looks to have been hand delivered with no stamp and a note signed from someone named Martin. The only person she knows by that name died 20 years ago. On another two occasions she gets delivered a pair of shoes from an unknown person and a phone call in the middle of the night from someone claiming to be her Martin. Is he alive or is someone messing with her?
This was such an outstanding and stunning debut thriller with a cleverly mastered plot filled with astute articulation throughout. Brimming with suspense and awe till the very end I couldn't put it down. The language was very detailed. There was a diverse range of characters that were befitting to the storyline. I liked that it was fast moving but still kept me captivated and guessing till the very end. Highly recommended. ✍️
Congratulations and Thank you @sarah_hawthornauthor @transitloungepublishing for the copy.
August 16, 2021
Enough twists and turns and suspicious characters to keep me turning pages! Lucie has moved to London after her lover Martin died in the 9/11 disaster. But did he die. Can Lucie move on ?
August 14, 2021
An interesting twisting thriller.
August 11, 2021
Fast past emotional page turner. This novel will have you captured at the very first page. Lucie is courageous, brave and speaks her mind including standing on her own two feet. Her character gives a sense of empowerment.
There is no justification for having an affair. It always comes back to bite you and the people involved always come back to haunt you.
Clever and sneakily good.
There is no justification for having an affair. It always comes back to bite you and the people involved always come back to haunt you.
Clever and sneakily good.
August 7, 2021
Oh, yes! Loved this debut novel by Sarah Hawthorn. Just what I like, a quick-paced thriller with twists...one that even I didn't pick! Looking forward to further books by this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews