After a slow start I really enjoyed this book.

I really enjoyed this book although it took me a little time to get into it. I have read a few books by Claire McGowan a like her as an author.

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Good

A slow start but good overall. Not too predictive. And enjoyed the change between Rachel and Casey.

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Predictable, but a decent listen.

From early on in this story, you know how it is going to end, both parts to the storyline are easily predicted. However, it is well-written and an enjoyable story to listen to.

I always cringe when listening to a reader who has to switch between accents and ages, it is very difficult thing to do. In this book the reader does make an American child sound creepy and Yorkshire men sound odd, but apart from that bit is good.

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Enjoyable read and worth an easy listen. 👌

Easy read. Possible to predict the story line but still worth a car journey listen !

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*Secrets*

Rachel thinks her life has started to come together, she lives in the countryside and has a boyfriend she loves albeit he is separated from his wife and has a small child. One morning on her regular walks with her dog she spots a body. What does she do? She runs it is the wife of her boyfriend. Should she report it? Well she has her reasons, 20 years ago when she was known as Casey she decided to fly to Los Angeles to become a Nanny thinking it was a stepping stone to fame.

Things were not as she dreamed it to be and the reality was far from ideal. Things take a tragic turn when all but one of the family is left alive. No one will listen to her and she ends up as the only suspect. So she ends up in prison and on death row she ends up freed after appeal. But mud sticks.

The story flip flops between her life in the present and the events that led up to prison in the USA.

So in the present she is now Rachel with and she looks different but she now finds herself as the prime suspect with incriminating evidence against her is history about to repeat itself? Someone knows her secret and in a small countryside village it won’t be long before she is judged…

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A good read

It started off slow, but got much better. Wasn't too sure about the ending. Overall fairly enjoyable.

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Very Good Psychological Thriller

I have to admit that the first half of the book didn't really draw me in. I was wondering if the pace would pick up and if anything remotely thrilling would happen. I'm not a fan of the amateur detective Trope and find such plot lines so unrealistic and far fetched so I was getting to the point where I was wondering whether to give up on the book.
however I'm glad I stuck with it as the second half is definitely more interesting, as we find out more about what happened that fateful day in LA and more about what is happening in the current timeline.
overall, a decent story, easy to listen to and with a few twists and turns towards the end. Not necessarily a book I'd rave about but definitely one I'm glad I saw through to the end.

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Well narrated

Didn't like the repetative minute by minute txts but good story overall, quite happy 😊

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A little lacklustre and far fetched

Entertainment definitely but the lack of thought given to the reality of a police investigation lets it down. It's for the police to prove guilt not the accused to prove innocence. Furthermore it was mostly ludicrous that they'd suspect her anyway not to mention laws preventing her being persecuted for an exonerated crime. All silly entertaining nonsense

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So predictable - sadly more drama than thriller ..

This book was fun and had quite a lot going for it such as twin locations, one of them being the home of a glitzy showbiz family in LA.
It had a good premise to begin with, an interesting character reveal but either I have become genius level at detective work ........ which I really do doubt ........... or the plots were as transparent as shrink wrap.
It really was more like a drama as it was so obvious whodunnit.
The protagonist was rather unlikeable and silly - volunteers at a dog shelter but has no clue about dogs in that she thinks her own rescue dog would hate it if she adopted a companion for her and instead leaves the dog at home alone all day .... has she learned nothing about dog or human psychology despite her many life experiences?
Also does anyone really think the only way they can change their name is by marrying someone?
I went along for the ride as it was well written, just a bit obvious for a thriller and a bit dull for a drama.
Having major travel withdrawal I would have loved more about the luxe LA setting - more about the Lake District romance and less about the seedier, darker more depressing background story and I suppose I was just hoping for more generally.
Narration was good and well cast though some strange mispronunciations along the way.
All in all I did enjoy it, I missed some chapters in the middle but ploughed on as I did not really miss anything, in fact it was so padded out it could have been a short story with no real surprises.
I have enjoyed Claire McGowan's books in the past but this was not her best.

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8 people found this helpful