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The Fall
She promised she wouldn’t tell. They made sure she couldn’t…
At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.
Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.
Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.
Because some secrets are worth killing for…
At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.
Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.
Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.
Because some secrets are worth killing for…
448 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2023
716 people are currently reading
3256 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 549 reviews
May 3, 2023
This was an anticipated read for me. I’ve liked her previous books, so I had high hopes for this one as well. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous books. I found the story a bit too slow, and although there were some surprises, I didn’t like when the person who pushed Caily was revealed!
December 22, 2022
Twins Kate and Beth have just turned forty and the family hold a surprise party in one of the barns at the farm. They seem a really tight unit but looks can be deceptive. The following afternoon the twins daughters Caily and Tegan miss a dress rehearsal for the school performance of La La Land with Caily taking the leading role. Where are they? Why does Caily end up in hospital in a coma following a fall from a bridge into rocks below? There are so many inconsistencies and question marks about Caily’s injuries the police don’t believe it’s an accident. This tears apart the whole family as a multitude of secrets bubble up to the surface.
There is much to enjoy in Louise Jensen’s latest psychological thriller. The farm provides a really good, atmospheric backdrop to the unravelling of lives. There’s a building sense of claustrophobia which combined with several characters despair adds another level to the storytelling. There’s a growing threat too and so danger levels rise. It becomes apparent as revelations emerge a bit at a time, that many characters are concealing serious things and there’s a great deal of pain and hurt in several directions. The plot is certainly packed with incident and so it’s a never a dull moment read. There’s maybe a bit too much drama on occasion but what that achieves is to set you off going down blind alleys as you try to figure things out and I do enjoy that!
It is without question an immersive easy read page turner but at times I find the short staccato sentences grate and one or two things are maybe too dragged out.
Overall though, the author sure knows how to pull a reader into her plot maze and keep your eyes super glued to the pages!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
There is much to enjoy in Louise Jensen’s latest psychological thriller. The farm provides a really good, atmospheric backdrop to the unravelling of lives. There’s a building sense of claustrophobia which combined with several characters despair adds another level to the storytelling. There’s a growing threat too and so danger levels rise. It becomes apparent as revelations emerge a bit at a time, that many characters are concealing serious things and there’s a great deal of pain and hurt in several directions. The plot is certainly packed with incident and so it’s a never a dull moment read. There’s maybe a bit too much drama on occasion but what that achieves is to set you off going down blind alleys as you try to figure things out and I do enjoy that!
It is without question an immersive easy read page turner but at times I find the short staccato sentences grate and one or two things are maybe too dragged out.
Overall though, the author sure knows how to pull a reader into her plot maze and keep your eyes super glued to the pages!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
April 24, 2023
EXCERPT: 'I promise we are going to find out who hurt you,' she whispers to her daughter. 'And why.'
In this moment to know the truth is all Kate wants.
Because she does not yet know that it will tear her family apart.
Be careful what you wish for.
ABOUT 'THE FALL': She promised she wouldn’t tell. They made sure she couldn’t…
At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.
Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.
Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.
Because some secrets are worth killing for…
MY THOUGHTS: The Fall may start out as a slow burn but, believe me, it morphs into a fast-paced thrilling and suspenseful page-turner.
I have always wanted to belong to a family like that of Kate and Beth. Close, warm and caring relationships. Open homes. Everyone welcome. No secrets . . . Wait! What was that? No secrets?
There are multiple secrets in this family, some of them decades old. Like a raft of ducks this family appears to be sailing serenely through life, but underneath the water there's a lot of frantic action.
Once we start to see the cracks beneath the carefully constructed facade, the story really takes off, and in some unexpected directions! Not one of my surmises was correct. NOT ONE! The twists are clever and carefully constructed, and there are dents in the floor where my jaw repeatedly dropped.
A definite recommendation.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheFall #NetGalley
I: @fabricating_fiction @hqstories
T: @fab_fiction @HQstories
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mystery #suspense
THE AUTHOR: When I was little I was obsessed by Enid Blyton. Her characters were so real to me they became my friends. I often huddled under my covers, stifling my yawns and straining my eyes, as I read 'just one more page' by torchlight.
Mr Townsend, my primary school English teacher always encouraged my love of literature, and it wasn’t long before I’d read everything my school had to offer. The first book I created was six pages long, had stick-man illustrations and was sellotaped together. I was immensely proud of it. Writing was a huge part of my life, until one day it wasn’t.
I can’t remember ever making a conscious decision to stop writing but it became easier to act on the advice I was given - ‘grow up and get a proper job’ - and my dreams were tightly packed away, gathering dust for the next twenty years.
My thirties were a car crash. Literally. I sustained injuries which when coupled with a pre-existing condition forced me to radically change my lifestyle. I felt utterly lost and utterly alone. Always an avid reader I began to devour books at an alarming rate. ‘You’ll have read every book in here soon,’ my local librarian said. ‘You’ll have to write your own.’
And there was a flicker, a shift, a rising of hope. I grasped that nugget of possibility and I wrote. I wrote when I was happy. I wrote when I was sad. I wrote when I was scared and in-between writing, I read, read and read some more. Words have the power to lift, to heal. They have illuminated my world, which for a time became very dark.
As Anne Frank said ‘I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.’
(LouiseJensen.co.uk)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to HQ via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Fall by Louise Jensen for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
In this moment to know the truth is all Kate wants.
Because she does not yet know that it will tear her family apart.
Be careful what you wish for.
ABOUT 'THE FALL': She promised she wouldn’t tell. They made sure she couldn’t…
At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.
Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.
Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.
Because some secrets are worth killing for…
MY THOUGHTS: The Fall may start out as a slow burn but, believe me, it morphs into a fast-paced thrilling and suspenseful page-turner.
I have always wanted to belong to a family like that of Kate and Beth. Close, warm and caring relationships. Open homes. Everyone welcome. No secrets . . . Wait! What was that? No secrets?
There are multiple secrets in this family, some of them decades old. Like a raft of ducks this family appears to be sailing serenely through life, but underneath the water there's a lot of frantic action.
Once we start to see the cracks beneath the carefully constructed facade, the story really takes off, and in some unexpected directions! Not one of my surmises was correct. NOT ONE! The twists are clever and carefully constructed, and there are dents in the floor where my jaw repeatedly dropped.
A definite recommendation.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheFall #NetGalley
I: @fabricating_fiction @hqstories
T: @fab_fiction @HQstories
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mystery #suspense
THE AUTHOR: When I was little I was obsessed by Enid Blyton. Her characters were so real to me they became my friends. I often huddled under my covers, stifling my yawns and straining my eyes, as I read 'just one more page' by torchlight.
Mr Townsend, my primary school English teacher always encouraged my love of literature, and it wasn’t long before I’d read everything my school had to offer. The first book I created was six pages long, had stick-man illustrations and was sellotaped together. I was immensely proud of it. Writing was a huge part of my life, until one day it wasn’t.
I can’t remember ever making a conscious decision to stop writing but it became easier to act on the advice I was given - ‘grow up and get a proper job’ - and my dreams were tightly packed away, gathering dust for the next twenty years.
My thirties were a car crash. Literally. I sustained injuries which when coupled with a pre-existing condition forced me to radically change my lifestyle. I felt utterly lost and utterly alone. Always an avid reader I began to devour books at an alarming rate. ‘You’ll have read every book in here soon,’ my local librarian said. ‘You’ll have to write your own.’
And there was a flicker, a shift, a rising of hope. I grasped that nugget of possibility and I wrote. I wrote when I was happy. I wrote when I was sad. I wrote when I was scared and in-between writing, I read, read and read some more. Words have the power to lift, to heal. They have illuminated my world, which for a time became very dark.
As Anne Frank said ‘I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.’
(LouiseJensen.co.uk)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to HQ via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Fall by Louise Jensen for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
September 18, 2023
Twin sisters. Each with a daughter the same age. One girl falls. Did the other one push her? Toss in parental issues, secrets, aging grandparents, and a school play with a bully. Someone knows something but ain't telling. The girl's in a coma, and readers have to figure out who did it. That's the plot of Louise Jensen's latest suspense novel, The Fall. I've read and enjoyed most of the author's previous books, so when the latest releases, I usually jump on it. This one is a few months old, and I was a bit behind schedule. Glad to finally read this one, as it had good pacing and interesting characters. It felt a little too long and purposely misleading but by the 75% mark, I kept flipping the Kindle screen so fast, I had to find out which family member did it. And why! I had my guesses, and I was on the right track but slightly off. It also amazes me how different US and UK life can be. So many ways of growing up that when I see something different, I wonder... who has it better? Good and bad of people's upbringing, the way family interacts, and the way the economy hits different types of communities. When an author can capture that, sharing info to those who may not understand, it's super helpful. I'm always thankful for the lessons and hours of entertainment spent in another person's complex mind.
May 22, 2023
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...
Now, I really liked this story, it was entertaining and kept me guessing, who did it? Who pushed Caily, what secrets are brewing in this supposedly happy family?
Is there such a thing as too many plot twists? I liked how it all came together but at one point it felt overdone. So many revelations in those last few chapter left me with my head spinning.
One small point is that I didn't like how some of the chapters ended with a sentence and then the next chapter begins with the same sentance.
Regardless of that, I really did enjoy this book.
Now, I really liked this story, it was entertaining and kept me guessing, who did it? Who pushed Caily, what secrets are brewing in this supposedly happy family?
Is there such a thing as too many plot twists? I liked how it all came together but at one point it felt overdone. So many revelations in those last few chapter left me with my head spinning.
One small point is that I didn't like how some of the chapters ended with a sentence and then the next chapter begins with the same sentance.
Regardless of that, I really did enjoy this book.
April 28, 2023
The fall is the catalyst to a tight-knit family unravelling. This was an expertly written, twisting thriller and I could not put it down. Another great piece of writing from Jensen.
This non-linear narrative details events leading up to Caily’s fall and the devastating aftermath. Told from a range of perspectives, readers get to intimately know the characters and their motives, and I found myself drawn to all the key players as it is evident that so many secrets lie under the surface of this family.
From the outside, it would seem that Kate Granger and her family are incredibly close. She and her twin sister have brought up their girls as close as themselves, to the point that Caily and Teagan could be mistaken for sisters. Living on the family farm, Mary and Patrick still have a significant role in everyone’s lives, even though they are retired from working on the family due to health issues. However, Jensen demonstrates from early on in the story that Teagan and Beth are a little outside from them all: living separately, short of money and Teagan’s father absent. It is not all the happy families that everyone perceives.
Caily’s accident causes this image of perfection to fall apart. Whilst she lies in a hospital bed, secrets swirl around her. Even her parents are not immune to this and I loved how cleverly Jensen gradually reveals the truth, demonstrating until the last pages that “everything is inextricably linked”. Through the use of flashbacks, we learn about the events leading up to Caily’s accident, plus all the other influences going on around her at the time. Yet, even in the present day, characters are not always honest with another and this lead to secrets just snowballing into one another.
This is reflected in the way Jensen structures her narrative. The chapters are incredibly short, creating a rather pacy read. At the same time, it reflects the disorientation and chaos that is building as each truth starts to cause cracks for the family. Furthermore, this is reflected by how the chapters end and begin very similarly, ultimately portraying the lack of control that the characters have over the situation, culminating in their eventual downfall.
A thrilling read from Jensen, I found the dynamics between the twin sisters and then cousins to be interesting to observe. They are almost of the same closeness yet there were some differences established across the generations. In addition, I especially liked the farm setting as Jensen reinforces the struggles faced by this working lifestyle: money is precarious and there is no room for error. The stresses of this are personified in Kate’s husband and I admired how he tries to protect his family from the reality of the situation.
I really enjoyed this story that was fast-paced and unpredictable. I relished in the layers of secrets being uncovered as this intricate web becomes more tightly woven, the more that is revealed.
With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This non-linear narrative details events leading up to Caily’s fall and the devastating aftermath. Told from a range of perspectives, readers get to intimately know the characters and their motives, and I found myself drawn to all the key players as it is evident that so many secrets lie under the surface of this family.
From the outside, it would seem that Kate Granger and her family are incredibly close. She and her twin sister have brought up their girls as close as themselves, to the point that Caily and Teagan could be mistaken for sisters. Living on the family farm, Mary and Patrick still have a significant role in everyone’s lives, even though they are retired from working on the family due to health issues. However, Jensen demonstrates from early on in the story that Teagan and Beth are a little outside from them all: living separately, short of money and Teagan’s father absent. It is not all the happy families that everyone perceives.
Caily’s accident causes this image of perfection to fall apart. Whilst she lies in a hospital bed, secrets swirl around her. Even her parents are not immune to this and I loved how cleverly Jensen gradually reveals the truth, demonstrating until the last pages that “everything is inextricably linked”. Through the use of flashbacks, we learn about the events leading up to Caily’s accident, plus all the other influences going on around her at the time. Yet, even in the present day, characters are not always honest with another and this lead to secrets just snowballing into one another.
This is reflected in the way Jensen structures her narrative. The chapters are incredibly short, creating a rather pacy read. At the same time, it reflects the disorientation and chaos that is building as each truth starts to cause cracks for the family. Furthermore, this is reflected by how the chapters end and begin very similarly, ultimately portraying the lack of control that the characters have over the situation, culminating in their eventual downfall.
A thrilling read from Jensen, I found the dynamics between the twin sisters and then cousins to be interesting to observe. They are almost of the same closeness yet there were some differences established across the generations. In addition, I especially liked the farm setting as Jensen reinforces the struggles faced by this working lifestyle: money is precarious and there is no room for error. The stresses of this are personified in Kate’s husband and I admired how he tries to protect his family from the reality of the situation.
I really enjoyed this story that was fast-paced and unpredictable. I relished in the layers of secrets being uncovered as this intricate web becomes more tightly woven, the more that is revealed.
With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up.
At her surprise fortieth birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world. But just hours later, her fifteen-year-old daughter Carly, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school. Now, Carly lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don't believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.
Even though I felt this story dragged out and a little far-fetched, I still felt it was worthy of 4 stars. There were so many twist and turns my head was spinning from them. With lots of secrets, and the mothers being twin sisters, their husbands and their teenage daughters, I wasn't sure who I could trust. There's also an odd subplot or two dotted around to make this read more thrilling. The characters are well developed and likeable. But the too much detail at the end of the book quickly brought this story down half a star. I just felt it was full of unnecessary details. This is a quick and easy book to read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQ and the author #LouiseJensen for my ARC of #TheFall in exchange for an honest review.
At her surprise fortieth birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world. But just hours later, her fifteen-year-old daughter Carly, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school. Now, Carly lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don't believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.
Even though I felt this story dragged out and a little far-fetched, I still felt it was worthy of 4 stars. There were so many twist and turns my head was spinning from them. With lots of secrets, and the mothers being twin sisters, their husbands and their teenage daughters, I wasn't sure who I could trust. There's also an odd subplot or two dotted around to make this read more thrilling. The characters are well developed and likeable. But the too much detail at the end of the book quickly brought this story down half a star. I just felt it was full of unnecessary details. This is a quick and easy book to read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQ and the author #LouiseJensen for my ARC of #TheFall in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2023
2.5 / 5
The more I read of this book, the worse the plot went and I’m talking about the paperback version which has 450 pages. An excessive amount of pages for a book which was dragging on forever to end. The plot kept getting more and more ridiculous on the last 150 pages.
Honestly the plot was dead asf, it’s only the last 150 pages where the plot is notched up. I don’t want to waste any of my vacation time on writing a review for a book I won’t ever read again, and will forget the plot within a week. It’s not worth the read, save your time and invest it in something else. The writing felt all of the place, predictable at points. There’s alot of unanswered questions I have for this book as well. Didn’t cut it for me, not worth the read. I also hated the reveal, and to top it up even more Jensen tried to add an additional element which fails completely. Disappointing book, read at your down disappointment. I highly recommend to read something else and avoid this book.
The more I read of this book, the worse the plot went and I’m talking about the paperback version which has 450 pages. An excessive amount of pages for a book which was dragging on forever to end. The plot kept getting more and more ridiculous on the last 150 pages.
Honestly the plot was dead asf, it’s only the last 150 pages where the plot is notched up. I don’t want to waste any of my vacation time on writing a review for a book I won’t ever read again, and will forget the plot within a week. It’s not worth the read, save your time and invest it in something else. The writing felt all of the place, predictable at points. There’s alot of unanswered questions I have for this book as well. Didn’t cut it for me, not worth the read. I also hated the reveal, and to top it up even more Jensen tried to add an additional element which fails completely. Disappointing book, read at your down disappointment. I highly recommend to read something else and avoid this book.
March 11, 2023
Gosh Lousie Jensen can write a story! It has been a while since I have read on of her books and I am wondering why now that I have devoured The Fall in under 24 hours. Twist after twist, secret after secret, I could not stop turning the pages. Short chapters for multiple points of view keeps the mystery of what happened to Caily intense. A family out under pressure, situations and lies making things so much worse than they should be.
Kate and Beth are identical twins and best friends. Their daughters, 15 year olds, Caily and Tegan are also joined at the hip. They both love the stage and are about to star in the biggest production to date. But they don't turn up to the final rehearsal, and Caily is found unconscious under a bridge. But foul play is suspected, but who would push her and why? The whereabouts of those closest to her at the time of the fall are put under scrutiny while Caily lies in the hospital in a coma.
If you have read this author before, you will know not to think you have it all worked out until that last page, and once again she has shocked this reader. Couldn't get enough.
Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on April 27th.
Kate and Beth are identical twins and best friends. Their daughters, 15 year olds, Caily and Tegan are also joined at the hip. They both love the stage and are about to star in the biggest production to date. But they don't turn up to the final rehearsal, and Caily is found unconscious under a bridge. But foul play is suspected, but who would push her and why? The whereabouts of those closest to her at the time of the fall are put under scrutiny while Caily lies in the hospital in a coma.
If you have read this author before, you will know not to think you have it all worked out until that last page, and once again she has shocked this reader. Couldn't get enough.
Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on April 27th.
January 21, 2023
Kate and Beth are both twins and both have daughters of their own, Teagan and Cally . It is Kate and Beth’s 40th birthday and they are having a party at the farm when they hear that Cally has been found unconscious under the bridge and because of her injuries she is in a coma. Did she fall or was she pushed?
When the police are called in evidence shows that cousin Teagan has something to do with Cally accident. Why would Teagan do such as thing. The story continues showing us they circumstances that leads up to the event.
Thank you, HQ, for a copy of ‘The Fall by Louise Jensen. I look forward to a book from the author. I found this story though to be quite slow and I found it hard to connect to the story due to the formatting of the eBook I received. Due to the words Copyrighted material running through this and the missing words in the story. I didn’t think the story flowed correctly. 3 stars from me.
When the police are called in evidence shows that cousin Teagan has something to do with Cally accident. Why would Teagan do such as thing. The story continues showing us they circumstances that leads up to the event.
Thank you, HQ, for a copy of ‘The Fall by Louise Jensen. I look forward to a book from the author. I found this story though to be quite slow and I found it hard to connect to the story due to the formatting of the eBook I received. Due to the words Copyrighted material running through this and the missing words in the story. I didn’t think the story flowed correctly. 3 stars from me.
June 27, 2023
One blind-alley after another!
There are many great aspects to this novel - the setting is perfect, as are the modern challenges the family faces. Desperate times lead to desperate decisions and the unfolding debacle is understandable. The writing is excellent as is the storytelling.
The only aspect that felt off for me, were some of the characters - they felt needy and some of the problems were very first-world/middle class/privileged.
All in all, an extremely good book and I had no idea how it was going to end.
There are many great aspects to this novel - the setting is perfect, as are the modern challenges the family faces. Desperate times lead to desperate decisions and the unfolding debacle is understandable. The writing is excellent as is the storytelling.
The only aspect that felt off for me, were some of the characters - they felt needy and some of the problems were very first-world/middle class/privileged.
All in all, an extremely good book and I had no idea how it was going to end.
April 23, 2023
She promised not to tell...they made sure she didn't...
It has been such a while since I've read a Louise Jensen thriller that I'd forgotten how well she can spin a tale. And that is why, despite only a few hours sleep, I have devoured THE FALL in under twenty-four hours. So many twists; so many secrets. I flipped through all 450 pages faster than I could read them. Short chapters kept the pace moving and multiple perspectives kept it interesting. who pushed Caily from the bridge? And why? And what secrets are they trying to keep from coming out? A family under pressure from all angles, nothing will prepare them for what is about to unfold.
Twins Kate and Beth have just turned forty and celebrated with a surprise party in a barn on the family farm. Throughout their entire lives they have been each other's half, always there when they need one another. But a day after their party, Kate's world comes crashing down when her 15 year old daughter Caily is found unconscious below a rickety bridge, having been pulled from the water. Her rescuer dialed 999 but was nowhere to be found once emergency services arrived. Rushed straight to hospital, Caily is in a coma having suffered a head injury and nearly drowning. But only time will tell when and if she comes out of the coma and how much she has been affected by the fall.
Kate gets the call and rushes to her daughter's bedside. What was Caily doing on the bridge? She should have been at school doing the final rehearsal for the opening night of "La La Land" in which Caily had the female lead. So why was she on the bridge and not rehearsing? And Caily's cousin Tegan came bursting into the house she shared with her mum Beth, Kate's twin sister, tears streaming down her face the moment Kate received the call about Caily. Did she have something to do with Caily's accident? Does Tegan know more than she's letting on?
Both fifteen, Caily and Tegan are more like siblings than cousins and they do everything together. Actually, interestingly enough I recently read that genetically, children of identical twins are more half-siblings than first cousins. Anyway, the girls are as inseparable as their mothers have always been with their own language - "I see you" countered with "I saw you first" - and their indivisible closeness. When Caily wins the female lead with Tegan as her understudy the girls are thrilled and can't wait to share the news with their family. But jealousy is rife and one Dani King can't help but make pig references to Caily with utterances of "oink oink" which only serves to chip away at Caily's already dwindling confidence. And that is only the beginning.
Add to this a nefarious character or two, some secret plotting while other secrets are exposed...with Caily uncovering one of them, did someone then serve to silence her for good before she could reveal what she discovered? Or was it the cyberbullying that lead to her fall? Caily's despair is felt throughout in the lead-up to her fall as is the despair of those around her. Everyone, it seems, has secrets to hide but who would want to silence a teenage girl to keep them hidden?
Louise Jensen is a masterful storyteller. Her settings are always atmospheric and Marsh Farm was the perfect backdrop for the unravelling of all their lives. There is a sense of claustrophobia, a tension that's palpable and a growing despair amongst the characters that just may be their downfall. There's a growing threat of danger as revelations emerge whilst a suspicion towards foul play over what happened to Caily is ever present. But who would push her and why? Everyone but everyone is under scrutiny that no one escapes suspicion.
THE FALL is a totally immersive and atmospheric psychological thriller in which twist after twist and secret after secret is unravelled. Prepare to be shocked because I was. I never suspected for a moment. But once it became clear, I just felt so so sad. In the end, it was a tragic tale. But without question, an addictive and compelling read from beginning to end.
I would like to thank #LouiseJensen, #Netgalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #TheFall in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
It has been such a while since I've read a Louise Jensen thriller that I'd forgotten how well she can spin a tale. And that is why, despite only a few hours sleep, I have devoured THE FALL in under twenty-four hours. So many twists; so many secrets. I flipped through all 450 pages faster than I could read them. Short chapters kept the pace moving and multiple perspectives kept it interesting. who pushed Caily from the bridge? And why? And what secrets are they trying to keep from coming out? A family under pressure from all angles, nothing will prepare them for what is about to unfold.
Twins Kate and Beth have just turned forty and celebrated with a surprise party in a barn on the family farm. Throughout their entire lives they have been each other's half, always there when they need one another. But a day after their party, Kate's world comes crashing down when her 15 year old daughter Caily is found unconscious below a rickety bridge, having been pulled from the water. Her rescuer dialed 999 but was nowhere to be found once emergency services arrived. Rushed straight to hospital, Caily is in a coma having suffered a head injury and nearly drowning. But only time will tell when and if she comes out of the coma and how much she has been affected by the fall.
Kate gets the call and rushes to her daughter's bedside. What was Caily doing on the bridge? She should have been at school doing the final rehearsal for the opening night of "La La Land" in which Caily had the female lead. So why was she on the bridge and not rehearsing? And Caily's cousin Tegan came bursting into the house she shared with her mum Beth, Kate's twin sister, tears streaming down her face the moment Kate received the call about Caily. Did she have something to do with Caily's accident? Does Tegan know more than she's letting on?
Both fifteen, Caily and Tegan are more like siblings than cousins and they do everything together. Actually, interestingly enough I recently read that genetically, children of identical twins are more half-siblings than first cousins. Anyway, the girls are as inseparable as their mothers have always been with their own language - "I see you" countered with "I saw you first" - and their indivisible closeness. When Caily wins the female lead with Tegan as her understudy the girls are thrilled and can't wait to share the news with their family. But jealousy is rife and one Dani King can't help but make pig references to Caily with utterances of "oink oink" which only serves to chip away at Caily's already dwindling confidence. And that is only the beginning.
Add to this a nefarious character or two, some secret plotting while other secrets are exposed...with Caily uncovering one of them, did someone then serve to silence her for good before she could reveal what she discovered? Or was it the cyberbullying that lead to her fall? Caily's despair is felt throughout in the lead-up to her fall as is the despair of those around her. Everyone, it seems, has secrets to hide but who would want to silence a teenage girl to keep them hidden?
Louise Jensen is a masterful storyteller. Her settings are always atmospheric and Marsh Farm was the perfect backdrop for the unravelling of all their lives. There is a sense of claustrophobia, a tension that's palpable and a growing despair amongst the characters that just may be their downfall. There's a growing threat of danger as revelations emerge whilst a suspicion towards foul play over what happened to Caily is ever present. But who would push her and why? Everyone but everyone is under scrutiny that no one escapes suspicion.
THE FALL is a totally immersive and atmospheric psychological thriller in which twist after twist and secret after secret is unravelled. Prepare to be shocked because I was. I never suspected for a moment. But once it became clear, I just felt so so sad. In the end, it was a tragic tale. But without question, an addictive and compelling read from beginning to end.
I would like to thank #LouiseJensen, #Netgalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #TheFall in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
April 30, 2023
Kate and her twin sister, Beth, are turning forty. Their family throw them a surprise birthday party, where both of them have a great time.
The events of the party are soon overshadowed when the next day, Kate’s daughter, Caily, falls into a river near the family farm, sustains a head injury, and ends up in a coma.
At the time of her accident, Caily was supposed to be at the school, at the drama club’s rehearsal for La La Land, where she played the main role. What made her miss such an important event?
Kate soon discovers that Caily was pushed, and that members of her family, including her sister, husband, niece, and parents, are all hiding secrets of their own… Is someone close to her responsible for Caily’s fall?
I loved this book! I found it so twisty and I heard myself utter “oh my God” aloud a couple of times (something that I hardly ever do, as I am usually good at predicting twists!).
Do you know the feeling when you get excited by a book and you want to keep on reading? That’s how I felt as I was reading The Fall. Great characters that you can relate to, a seemingly loving, but struggling family, all hiding something.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough – I devoured it in two sittings. It’s my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last.
The events of the party are soon overshadowed when the next day, Kate’s daughter, Caily, falls into a river near the family farm, sustains a head injury, and ends up in a coma.
At the time of her accident, Caily was supposed to be at the school, at the drama club’s rehearsal for La La Land, where she played the main role. What made her miss such an important event?
Kate soon discovers that Caily was pushed, and that members of her family, including her sister, husband, niece, and parents, are all hiding secrets of their own… Is someone close to her responsible for Caily’s fall?
I loved this book! I found it so twisty and I heard myself utter “oh my God” aloud a couple of times (something that I hardly ever do, as I am usually good at predicting twists!).
Do you know the feeling when you get excited by a book and you want to keep on reading? That’s how I felt as I was reading The Fall. Great characters that you can relate to, a seemingly loving, but struggling family, all hiding something.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough – I devoured it in two sittings. It’s my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last.
January 18, 2023
Fifteen year old Caily is found unconscious under a bridge after her mothers birthday party and she is in hospital in a coma. The family try to put together the circumstances that lead up to this accident.
This story has some interesting characters and some twists and turns.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
This story has some interesting characters and some twists and turns.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2023
This is a good read but a bit of a slow burner.
Caily is found unconscious after a fall from a bridge and the Police are sure she was pushed.
With Caily in ICU no-one knows what really happened and her parents are desparate for her to wake up from her coma.
There’s other strands to the story and several characters are hiding secrets.
I enjoyed the book but struggled to connect with the characters a bit but I’m not sure why.
Overall a good read.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Caily is found unconscious after a fall from a bridge and the Police are sure she was pushed.
With Caily in ICU no-one knows what really happened and her parents are desparate for her to wake up from her coma.
There’s other strands to the story and several characters are hiding secrets.
I enjoyed the book but struggled to connect with the characters a bit but I’m not sure why.
Overall a good read.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
May 8, 2023
I struggled so hard to finish this. The story was boring and all the characters annoyed me.
September 18, 2023
all that drama and for what!
October 25, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
This was a struggle for me to listen to because I found the writing too wordy and got annoyed by the chapter structures. They would end one way and then begin another for some gotcha! moments and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Then the plot and characters seemed very soap opera-like with so much drama surrounding the incident. However, when the reveals came, they were so underwhelming. I laughed at one in particular because here, in Michigan, it’s nbd.
Idk maybe I felt this way because at the time of listening, I was experiencing a busy week and had zero patience for some miscommunication trope. I’ve also been reading some really dark stuff this month, so this book and its proposed problems seemed pretty juvenile in comparison.
Reading is subjective, but I will most likely forget this one. (Hopefully I’m not offending anyone 😬)
This was a struggle for me to listen to because I found the writing too wordy and got annoyed by the chapter structures. They would end one way and then begin another for some gotcha! moments and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Then the plot and characters seemed very soap opera-like with so much drama surrounding the incident. However, when the reveals came, they were so underwhelming. I laughed at one in particular because here, in Michigan, it’s nbd.
Idk maybe I felt this way because at the time of listening, I was experiencing a busy week and had zero patience for some miscommunication trope. I’ve also been reading some really dark stuff this month, so this book and its proposed problems seemed pretty juvenile in comparison.
Reading is subjective, but I will most likely forget this one. (Hopefully I’m not offending anyone 😬)
July 21, 2023
When the author cannot even get the name of one of the characters correctly I.e Calling Matt, Mike at one point, then it worries me. Use of incorrect words e.g. His heart contacted, really? Surely it should have been contracted!
I think the author should at least get a proof reader that knows their job.
I shan’t be reading any more of her books.
I think the author should at least get a proof reader that knows their job.
I shan’t be reading any more of her books.
September 18, 2023
Twins Kate and Beth have always been close, but when an accident happens the day after their joint 40th birthday party, involving one of their daughters, their loyalties are tested. And as the details of the accident are uncovered, more is revealed about their own lives and the lives of those around them - it seems like everyone has secrets they want to keep.
This was a superb psychological thriller with twists and turns galore. The entire family seemed to have secrets which slowly came out of the woodwork and were thrown into a simmering pot of deceit and lies. My head was spinning!
I listened to this on audio and it really enhanced my enjoyment. Very short chapters made it feel like I whizzed through the story.
This was a superb psychological thriller with twists and turns galore. The entire family seemed to have secrets which slowly came out of the woodwork and were thrown into a simmering pot of deceit and lies. My head was spinning!
I listened to this on audio and it really enhanced my enjoyment. Very short chapters made it feel like I whizzed through the story.
April 28, 2023
Louise Jensen is a master storyteller and is a pro at spinning suspense with heart, family, and emotion, as indicated in her latest thriller—THE FALL.
What happened to fifteen-year-old Caily, unconscious underneath a bridge when she was supposed to be elsewhere?
Kate and Beth are identical twins and best friends. Their daughters, Caily and Tegan (age 15), are BFFs. They love the stage and drama and have been leading up to a big production.
The day after Kate/Beth's 40th surprise birthday party at the barn, Caily is found unconscious under a bridge when she was supposed to be at school rehearsing. A fall from the bridge near her home. She is now in a coma in the hospital.
Was it an accident, or did someone push her? Was there foul play or something sinister?
We learn about the family, Kate, and Matt, and the pressure of keeping their farm afloat. There are many SECRETS. Who can be trusted?
Someone is desperate to protect the truth. Was there something going on at school? Bullying, jealousy, or something else?
As always, Jensen blends well-developed characters and those you care about. Kate, Matt, Caily, Beth, Tegan, and grandparents. Full of suspense, emotion, mystery, suspense, and twisty surprises.
Told from different POVs and the creepy voice of the person responsible for the fall.
The farm and natural setting are both atmospheric, absorbing, and compelling. A page-turner—an emotionally-charged domestic suspense thriller that will leave readers gut-wrenched and gripped.
A big fan of the author, I highly recommend her books! For fans, author Christina McDonald's The Night Olivia Fell.
Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com .
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 27, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
April 2023 Must-Read Books
What happened to fifteen-year-old Caily, unconscious underneath a bridge when she was supposed to be elsewhere?
Kate and Beth are identical twins and best friends. Their daughters, Caily and Tegan (age 15), are BFFs. They love the stage and drama and have been leading up to a big production.
The day after Kate/Beth's 40th surprise birthday party at the barn, Caily is found unconscious under a bridge when she was supposed to be at school rehearsing. A fall from the bridge near her home. She is now in a coma in the hospital.
Was it an accident, or did someone push her? Was there foul play or something sinister?
We learn about the family, Kate, and Matt, and the pressure of keeping their farm afloat. There are many SECRETS. Who can be trusted?
Someone is desperate to protect the truth. Was there something going on at school? Bullying, jealousy, or something else?
As always, Jensen blends well-developed characters and those you care about. Kate, Matt, Caily, Beth, Tegan, and grandparents. Full of suspense, emotion, mystery, suspense, and twisty surprises.
Told from different POVs and the creepy voice of the person responsible for the fall.
The farm and natural setting are both atmospheric, absorbing, and compelling. A page-turner—an emotionally-charged domestic suspense thriller that will leave readers gut-wrenched and gripped.
A big fan of the author, I highly recommend her books! For fans, author Christina McDonald's The Night Olivia Fell.
Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com .
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 27, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
April 2023 Must-Read Books
December 20, 2023
Everyone knows how much I love Louise Jensen’s books and every new one gets me excited to read it.
The prologue starts out with plenty of intrigue which certainly had me hooked from the beginning. The characters are all interesting in their own right and this often throws plenty of suspicions and chaos into who the culprit is. There are so many veins of direction where storylines could lead that it really could have been any of them. This is what I love about a Jensen novel. The intrigue I had of where the book was leading, was certainly pulling me to think about it when I wasn’t reading and the various theories I had I kept swapping what I thought was right but still got it wrong which is unusual for me as it’s becoming rarer for me not to get the twist! Louise Jensen certainly got me this time multiple times!
The book in general was excellent, the storytelling was both gripping and beautifully written and was full of tension and pace throughout which gave it a crime thriller feel rather than the psychological thriller I’d expected.
Fabulous novel once again and can’t wait for the next!
The prologue starts out with plenty of intrigue which certainly had me hooked from the beginning. The characters are all interesting in their own right and this often throws plenty of suspicions and chaos into who the culprit is. There are so many veins of direction where storylines could lead that it really could have been any of them. This is what I love about a Jensen novel. The intrigue I had of where the book was leading, was certainly pulling me to think about it when I wasn’t reading and the various theories I had I kept swapping what I thought was right but still got it wrong which is unusual for me as it’s becoming rarer for me not to get the twist! Louise Jensen certainly got me this time multiple times!
The book in general was excellent, the storytelling was both gripping and beautifully written and was full of tension and pace throughout which gave it a crime thriller feel rather than the psychological thriller I’d expected.
Fabulous novel once again and can’t wait for the next!
November 1, 2024
Is this the world’s most unlucky family or what? A lot to unpack here. The story had potential to be good, but with the three thousand characters and the multiple “twists” it just felt like a bad thriller movie. I did not like how the chapters ended and picked up, the repetitive language, or the bland characters. There wasn’t one single character in this whole book that I did like, and like stated above, there was about three thousand. So yeah, not my cup of tea 😅
May 2, 2023
Narrated by Helen Keeley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story by Louise Jensen ⭐⭐⭐
There was alot going on in this fast paced story, and if you read once in a while this might be a 5 star read. For me however it was good but not stand out. I didn't particularly like any of the characters or feel a strong sense of emotion to them and their situation.
Story by Louise Jensen ⭐⭐⭐
There was alot going on in this fast paced story, and if you read once in a while this might be a 5 star read. For me however it was good but not stand out. I didn't particularly like any of the characters or feel a strong sense of emotion to them and their situation.
July 22, 2023
A fantastic read, very twisty and thrilling. I loved the way story kept changing direction and I was suspicious of all the characters. The ending was brilliant and I was sorry to finish it.
Read
September 26, 2023No rating. DNF
This style of writing and quipping conversations just isn't for me. Too much telling and constant pulsing effusion combined.
This style of writing and quipping conversations just isn't for me. Too much telling and constant pulsing effusion combined.
October 27, 2024
Imagine being cornered by twenty chatty strangers who are all talking at once while you are trying to unravel Christmas lights. Then, once the mess is untangled, you light the house on fire. That’s what this book was like for me.
October 5, 2024
Louise Jensen can write no wrong thriller! Her twists are I never see coming. This is my second book by her and the amount of chaos and drama was so thrilling. It was hard to put down.
Pick up if you like
+ Dual timelines
+Multiple POV
+Family Drama & Secrets
+Miscommunication IN a thriller
Pick up if you like
+ Dual timelines
+Multiple POV
+Family Drama & Secrets
+Miscommunication IN a thriller
April 15, 2023
The Fall centres around a family - teenage cousins Caily and Tegan, the daughters of twin sisters Kate and Beth, and an accident - or is it? - that leaves Caily in a coma. The story follows events both before and after this - needless to say, everyone is hiding secrets, and plenty of them.
I found this a bit of a slog, to be honest, and the formatting of the ebook didn't help. Advance copies are always appreciated, and I certainly don't expect them to be perfect, but unfortunately the formatting of this copy made it very difficult to read, and definitely affected my ability to follow or enjoy the story. At about three quarters of the way through I suddenly realised I had no idea what was going on, though that's probably my own fault for not paying close enough attention. It seemed at one point that people were being threatened and attacked right, left and centre, and I couldn't keep up! I did guess who was involved in Caily's fall, though - there weren't actually that many possibilities when it came down to it.
A narrative device whereby the last line of one chapter is echoed in the first line of the next is way overused here, to the point where it began to really annoy me. ("He feels he's being watched." [new chapter] "She's being watched." "Her future might rest on what he has to tell her." [new chapter] "Tegan's future could rest on what Nicola is about to tell her." "She's never felt so out of her depth." [new chapter] "Matt is out of his depth.") And so on, and so on. Occasionally - fine. But this is constant, especially as the chapters are really short, sometimes only a page. I'm sure the author thought it would make the story flow, but it feels very forced and far too overdone. There are a few instances of the wrong word being used, too ("exacerbated" is one that springs to mind, but there were others).
There's certainly a lot going on, and plenty of twists and turns. I didn't guess what would happen at the end.
Overall I'm afraid I didn't really enjoy the book, although that's partly due to the formatting issues with the advance copy. I'm sure many people will enjoy it much more than I did.
I found this a bit of a slog, to be honest, and the formatting of the ebook didn't help. Advance copies are always appreciated, and I certainly don't expect them to be perfect, but unfortunately the formatting of this copy made it very difficult to read, and definitely affected my ability to follow or enjoy the story. At about three quarters of the way through I suddenly realised I had no idea what was going on, though that's probably my own fault for not paying close enough attention. It seemed at one point that people were being threatened and attacked right, left and centre, and I couldn't keep up! I did guess who was involved in Caily's fall, though - there weren't actually that many possibilities when it came down to it.
A narrative device whereby the last line of one chapter is echoed in the first line of the next is way overused here, to the point where it began to really annoy me. ("He feels he's being watched." [new chapter] "She's being watched." "Her future might rest on what he has to tell her." [new chapter] "Tegan's future could rest on what Nicola is about to tell her." "She's never felt so out of her depth." [new chapter] "Matt is out of his depth.") And so on, and so on. Occasionally - fine. But this is constant, especially as the chapters are really short, sometimes only a page. I'm sure the author thought it would make the story flow, but it feels very forced and far too overdone. There are a few instances of the wrong word being used, too ("exacerbated" is one that springs to mind, but there were others).
There's certainly a lot going on, and plenty of twists and turns. I didn't guess what would happen at the end.
Overall I'm afraid I didn't really enjoy the book, although that's partly due to the formatting issues with the advance copy. I'm sure many people will enjoy it much more than I did.
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