https://www.amazon.com/review/R26G0RSUDXZA06/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1611099498
Sibel Hodge champions another cause with big pharma. Spine-tingling suspense in a well-paced psychological thriller. Autism is a no-go here. The rest is a must read.

ohhh my goodness - this book was written so well and I could have easily devoured it in one sitting if my schedule would have allowed me too. This is not the type of thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, however, it was perfectly layered and I enjoyed pealing back every piece. Looking forward to reading more of Sibel Hodges novels.
* Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review*

Beneath the surface is fascinating story. It was well researched and different to a lot of other books on the market at the moment. The story was fast paced and thought provoking. Sibel is a very talented writer and I can't wait to see what she comes up for her next book.

***4.5 stars****
I really, really enjoyed this book. The main character annoyed me a few times with her decisions, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. It may have even increased it, as it was very clear that she wasn't perfect (like none of us are). This book kept me wanting to keep reading right until the very end. I can't say much more, as I think it's enjoyed most when you go in blind. Definitely reading more from this author!!!

A very well written psycyhological/big conspiracy thriller. Hodge has carefully plotted her tale and created a good intrepid investigator in Holly. My one complaint about this genre is that I'd really like to see more cooperation with law enforcement. I know it's sort of the point that the protagonist, Holly in this case, can't get anyone to listen to her but I often worry more than I should that these women will get themselves really hurt in the process of trying to figure out a situation. Holly's back story is well done, there are good twists, and the tension is maintained throughout. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one for a good read.

Another enjoyable read by Sibel. Really well written and very hard to put down. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author

If you are going to start reading this book please don't make any other plans for the rest of the day.Ms Hodge really does know her trade and you won't want to put the book down .Holly is an interesting character all the better for her flaws I think, I never like anyone to be too perfect, she drinks too much, not surprising given every thing she has been through and is still going through.This was an intriguing tale and was quite believable in a very dark way why do people go off the rails and kill those closest to them and then kill themselves why indeed ,you like me will have to read the book to find out why,and you won't be sorry you did.Cracking book well worth a read.

Holly, a young journalist finds out that her childhood friend Jess and husband have been killed by their son who has then killed himself. This seems way out of character so she decides to find out more. Holly regrets having not been in touch with Jess sooner. Jess’s mother wants answers and Holly promises to do her very best. This is a well told story as always with Sibel where characters come to life on the pages and a story to get into. I would like to award it a higher rating but there are huge factual errors. As this is a work of fiction I will concentrate on the story for my review and disregard the factual errors. I won’t go into them here but if totally fictional then fine, but a mix of fact (by the amount of Pharma info re SPC etc) and fiction may give a skewed picture. I love Sibel’s books and won’t let this one detract from future works.I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased

This is a 3.5 from me. It's a very interesting and topical story, but it just didn't keep my attention quite as much as I expected. I'm a big fan of Sibel Hodge, and her book Untouchable was a five star read for me. This one just didn't quite reach that. There's a whole lot going on here, so it would probably be best to read this one in as few sittings as possible so you don't lose track.

Holly is a journalist, but she spends her time writing feel-good stories because her boss won't assign her anything else. She seems to be a bit too sensitive and empathetic to push people in order to get those big, sordid headlines that sell papers. This story is different... she hadn't been assigned it, and is encouraged to stay away. She can't... she knows the victims.

Her old best friend's son has apparently snapped and killed both of his parents before killing himself. Though she hasn't seen him since he was a very small child, she can't wrap her head around it. She feels guilty that she didn't get back in touch with old friend Jess when she moved back to town. She was ashamed that her career wasn't going well and dealing with a break up and a miscarriage. Getting back in touch with Jess wasn't first on her list of priorities... but now she'll regret it forever.

Unable to accept that the teenager simply snapped without a reason, she starts to investigate. Grief and her own problem with alcohol aren't making things easy, and she has a hard time finding allies. People just seem to think she's making excuses for a very disturbed young man.

It's not long before her investigation leads her to the pharmaceutical industry. Turns out Dean had been seeing a therapist and been prescribed some relatively new mediation. When she looks into other teen suicides, she starts to find connections. But one woman against a gigantic industry cannot end well, and there's no end to what some people will do to protect the secrets that keep them rich and successful.

This book managed to surprise me a few times, and made me think. I do think it went into a little too much detail about the drugs and perhaps stuffed too many topics into one book. Still a very interesting read that I would recommend.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Honestly, not what I expected, but then that wouldn't be fun... Excellent thriller, many twists that I wasn't expecting, a book that keeps you guessing... YOU NEED TO READ THIS...

I loved this book until the very last page. The story was new and interesting and had enough twists to keep me guessing, but the very last page talked about the (non-existent) link of autism to vaccines and that killed it for me, and so I took off a star.

3.5 stars. This book started well and had me intrigued from the start. I just found it went into too much longwinded detail towards the end that I found slightly unnecessary.

Sibel Hodge has done it again! She has this way of drawing you into a story and not letting go till you read those two words - THE END.

The story begins with Holly who has recently returned to her home town of Ashfield after a failed relationship and career in London and is working as a journalist for a local rag when she finds out that her best friend Jess and Jess's husband have both been murdered and her son Dean is the one that killed them, before hanging himself. What made this good natured loving teenager commit this heinous crime? Holly cannot believe it's true and when his gran Barbara asks Holly to help her find some answers she is determined to stop at nothing to uncover the truth.

After reading Duplicity I thought it couldn't get any better than that, she proved me wrong, this was pure brilliance! Her writing is seamless and the words just flow, I found that once I picked this one up I just couldn't put it down and read it in less than a day, I was completely hooked and felt like I'd been thrown into the pages of the book and was living the nightmare alongside Holly determined to get justice for her and the family that Barbara had lost in one fell swoop on that fateful day.

I would like to thank Thomas & Mercer for approving me to read this book and will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day, a very worthy 5 stars.

When teenager Dean, kills his family then himself, everyone doubts him. How could he be so evil and violent? Journalist Holly is a family friend, and can't believe the young boy she used to know could be guilty of such a crime. She investigates Dean and the lead up to his crime, and discovers there's definitely more to the story than initially thought.

This is incredibly fast paced, I had an early night and devoured this in a night. I'd highly recommend it

I've only recently become a fan of Sibel Hodge, I LOVED Duplicity and was so excited to see she had a new book coming out! The premise for this intrigued me, I love a good conspiracy, but I had no idea just how dark and devious this book would actually be.

This explores some really interesting and timely issues and I have to applaud Hodge for that. The main focus is unethical pharmaceutical companies, but she also touches on homelessness, teen suicide and mental health issues. I was floored by the lengths pharmaceutical companies will go just to make money, it was appalling and you can tell that the author did some heavy research. All of these issues were written about in a sensitive manner and were definitely eye opening for me.

I really like Hodge's style, but I have to admit that there was something missing for me here. I'm not sure exactly what it was, the pacing was a bit of a mixed bag. Some parts seemed to drag a little and others were super fast. It just didn't have the same great feeling that her previous psychological thriller and I also wasn't super connected to the lead character. Overall it was a pretty good read, there were surprises and great moments, just not my favorite from her.

Gripping thriller with twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout. It had me on the edge of my seat and had some genuinely shocking gasp out loud moments that I did not see coming. A fabulous 4 stars. Recommended.

5.0 for the exposition.
3.0 the execution.

First and foremost, my thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to receive this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beneath the surface is a very good book! Ma. Hodge does a good balancing act in writing factual information in a fictional , suspenseful novel! Engaging!

The research of the author is impeccable, and I am enlightened as to big pharmacy corruption: falsifying research, unethical practices during clinical trials, doctors' kickbacks, to name a few of the egregious acts. Furthermore, if found liable for fraud, the companies may receive a slap on the hand, which is a minor fine compared to the amazing profits. Appalling! I had no idea, so kudos to the author for her intensive research to expose such horror!

However, the storyline drags a bit in the middle. There are descriptions and scenarios that have too much irrelevant detail, which causes the pace to slow and the plot to lose focus. Ditto with the dialogue that becomes too verbose. The characters are flat and one dimensional.

The last 25% of the book picks up steam and is riveting! The denouement is satisfying, although this reader feels it was " wrapped in a bow" somewhat.

I look forward to reading more works by Sibel Hodge!

Dean Hudson didn’t look evil…so what could drive an ordinary boy to kill?

When the teenage son of Holly Gold’s school friend brutally murders his parents before killing himself, her sleepy home town is rocked by the sudden tragedy.

Appalled, Holly investigates. What could have caused the happy-go-lucky boy she remembers to commit such a heinous crime? When another teen commits suicide, she uncovers a horrifying link between the recent deaths and a dark conspiracy to hide the truth.

But someone doesn’t want Holly asking questions and, as she hunts for evidence to prove her theory, she’s dragged into a nightmare that threatens her life and her sanity. Then tragedy strikes again—and this time it’s closer to home.

This book. Just wow! I was right with Holly all the way. This is such a well written book. Holly, being the main character is a reporter. The other characters are brilliant too. I was sideswiped by one of the ‘bad guys’. Didn’t expect that at all. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. 5*

This is a well written, fast paced thriller that held my attention from the very first page.
If you are looking for a Can't Put It Down addictive book then look no further.
Highly recommended

When the teenage son of Holly Gold’s school friend brutally murders his parents before killing himself, her sleepy home town is rocked by the sudden tragedy.
Although Holly hasn't been in contact with Jess for many years, she feels terribly guilty for her silence, and the Journalist in her can't believe the sweet little boy she remembers could grow up to something so dreadful and violent. When she goes to visit Jess' mother Barbara, who is understandably heartbroken and equally as horrified that Dean could commit such an atrocity, Jess is determined to find out what went so wrong.

Her first step is to ask her boss to be allowed to cover the story rather than her idiot colleague. When she is refused and left covering local minor social events, she is further incensed by the completely insensitive piece that gets published, all in the name of selling more papers. She is so angry she quits her job, with the intention of writing freelance, but also so that it will allow her the time to look into the recent events which led to the death of her friend and whole family.

As the story unfolds, Sibel Hodge has this marvellous talent for completely drawing the reader in, making it impossible to put the book down, as you need to keep reading just one more chapter. There are a number of key characters involved, who all have their own important role to play within the story, and they have been linked together perfectly.

As I was approaching the end, I thought I had sussed out the guilty party, but couldn't have ever imagined the extent of the cleverly woven plot, masterfully tied up to a satisfying conclusion. Altogether making yet another absolutely brilliant read, well deserving of full marks!