An exciting read with some very creepy characters. Twisted enough to make me shudder. Great for getting curled up in your favourite chair with plenty of time to concentrate on the descriptive passages which if I were to complain about anything it might just be that this went on a bit too long in places.

Cass and Ryan Connor seem like a happy family on the outside. They have three children, two from Cass’ previous marriage and one between them. They have moved to Portland, have stable jobs, and a lovely family home. But the perfect marriage turns into a nightmare when Cass starts to discover that her husband had started to lie daily to her omissions and white lies that turn into a series of denials and threats. Soon Cass is in trouble as she goes up against her husband, who seemed like a loving father, but is now a completely different person and the people who are bent on believing a man’s word over the woman’s.

Okay, I hate giving one star reviews, but with this book I just couldn’t rate it higher.

I wanted to love it, but I quickly grew to despise it. If you are planning to read it and don’t want any spoilers, I’d stop reading the review now because the rant that follows is why I have such strong dislike for this wrong.

One, the format. It was all over the place. Sometimes the story jumped between present and past with no clear cut definitive line and it makes your head swim as you scramble to find out what just happened. One minute it’s in the past, the next minute the author is talking about the present, the switch is so sudden it felt like whiplash.

Second, I am not sure what the author was trying to do here. I get that she puts forth a lot of stuff she believes in and how she feels the world functions and it’s very feminist to the point of being overwhelming?

Like for example. Cass has this perfect family and out of no where, her husband grows another head and becomes a man that she no longer recognizes, capable of violence. There are odd scenes between Cass and Ryan when she confronts him about his cheating and he attacks her, and chokes her, and says your life is over now, you will leave me – something along those lines. It was the most random and weirdest thing, like… ever

Now here is the part that really starts to piss me off. Cass is being poisoned by her husband, but NO ONE believes her, with the exception of her best friend. She goes to the hospital and rather than checking her first for poison, they escort her to the psych ward because apparently hospitals don’t believe women if they come into the ER claiming that their husband is trying to murder them, only crazy people come into the hospital claiming to be poisoned. So rather than checking the person first to see if they are telling the truth, THAN sending them to loony bin if necessary, they do it automatically. Right…

So she goes to her lawyer, and he barely believes her.

She goes to the cops and they do not believe her…

She calls her father, who automatically accuses her of pissing her husband off. Oh, and does not believe her…

Even her mother turns on her.

So this well educated woman in her 30s? 40s? is suddenly being accused by EVERYONE that she has a mental illness, because her husband said so and no one in this country believes women and they all try to discredit them, even our own parents and mothers will testify in court and say – yup this child I raised, who has a good education, has never had a mental illness is obviously mentally ill..

Excuse me? Are you KIDDING ME?

Fine… Let’s say there are hospital in the USA that will throw you into a psych ward if you come in accusing your husband with poisoning you (I’ve been told otherwise, anyone heard differently?) but it’s not like she didn’t have symptoms, she did.

But I never got the sense that her mother would turn on her, like what? Why? I mean, come on…

Also, why did he all the sudden turn on her? I understand she accused him of cheating, which we never got quiet the answer to that, or why he was trying to kill her.

It just did not work for me at all. I get the sense that the author had a strong dislike for the male population in general, including how this country is run in courts, in police, in hopsitals, there is a strong emphasis on male misogyny and was trying to spread the word (or hate) through a psychological thriller, but I never felt like it worked.

I really liked the premise of the book. Happily married woman with two children loses husband, but finds a new husband who adores her children and they have another child together. Things seem to be going so well until suddenly they are not. Cass has slowly alienated herself from all of her friends and her job since she is so busy taking care of her children, her home, and her husband. She soon starts to become dizzy, ill and begins to lose her hair. She doesn't understand what could possibly be wrong. Her husband starts to pull away, she starts to accuse him of cheating. He says that she is crazy. Her symptoms become worse. She becomes sicker; vomiting profusely and bleeding rectally. She soon realizes that she is somehow being poisoned. Her husband is always ahead of her. When she goes to the hospital claiming that her husband is poisoning her, the doctors assume she is crazy and order a psych evaluation. The same thing happens when she contacts the police. There is no proof that she is being poisoned. No one will believe her. I had a hard time believing that all her efforts of reporting the crimes against her were so ignored. Then Cass decides she must put herself and all three children in harm's way by taking a vacation with her husband (who is obviously still trying to poison/kill her) in order to hopefully gather the proof she needs against her husband. Who would really put their kids in this much danger? Good story. Definitely some page-turning moments, but some very drawn-out scenes and some unbelievable parts. 3 stars

After husband (Ryan) poisons wife (Cassie), he tries to make her look like the crazy one.

This book read almost like a reporter relaying facts about Cass and Ryan's marriage. It was extremely heavy on the narration and, in my opinion, low on emotion.

This is being called a psychological thriller, but I didn't find it very thrilling or interesting. My interest was piqued at the beginning, and I found the writing style unique, but overall, I just didn't find myself wanting to read it. The portrayal of Ryan and Cass' marriage moved way too quickly from perfect to nightmare. Without much of a motive (see spoiler below), Ryan suddenly started hating Cass and began poisoning her.

I've heard good things about other books from this author and would be willing to give one a try!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Cass and Ryan Connor are living the dream. A wonderful marriage and a happy life with their three children. Cass has two children from a previous marriage and she and Ryan have a two-year old child together. After her first husband passed away, Cass didn’t think she’d find a man willing to accept her children from another man. But then she met Ryan. Cass tells us that Ryan is a wonderful father and step-father.

Life is grand. Cass revels in the fact that she has it all….

But does she?

It starts with late nights and little lies. There is a feeling that something isn’t quite right.

Everything is perfect in the Connor household. So what if Ryan has been coming home late more often? It’s okay that he’s increasingly moody and short-tempered. It’s no big deal when he doesn’t show up to pick up their son and Cass has to take the baby to class with her.

Cass tries to explain things away. Ryan is an architect and it’s not uncommon for him to work late. He has been stressed because he’s under a lot of pressure so that’s why he’s moody. And it’s not his fault that an important meeting ran late so he couldn’t pick up their son.

But then Cass catches Ryan in a lie. Suddenly everything is most certainly NOT perfect.

“Life as you know it is over”

But could Cass be overreacting? She keeps questioning herself. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for everything. Perhaps her mind is playing tricks on her, she wonders if she can trust her own judgment.

Is she being paranoid?

I am conflicted in my feelings about this book. I was totally gripped by the story and honestly hated putting it down. I was bouncing with apprehension and nervousness. I know one of the big signs of a good book is its ability to make a reader feel things. But it was almost too much for me at times. I spent quite a bit of the book in a state of anxiety. However, I had to see how things were going to pan out.

The plot was interesting and thought-provoking, but at times I found the writing a bit wordy and overly descriptive. There are definitely a lot of important messages and issues addressed in this book. But I did wonder if some of the messages could get lost in some of the repetitive writing. That being said, I really was obsessed and desperate to find out what was going to happen next.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book started off strong. From her first pages, Galt Niederhoffer mesmerized me with Cass and Ryan's story. I started writing a rave review in my head because I knew I would love this book.

And then ... I started revising that rave review.

The problem lies in an increasingly implausible plot. Worse, the more you're supposed to sympathize with Cass, the less outrage you feel. You instead find yourself giving your eye muscles quite the workout as you continually roll them, this way and that.

In the beginning of their relationship, Ryan represents a sort of second chance for Cass. A widow with two children, she thought she had had her love, so Ryan's appearance in her life is unexpected. They marry and have a child together. When their New York lives feel as if they are headed in the wrong direction, they move across the country to Seattle. A fresh start and all that.

Are there warning signs that point to the changes in Ryan? Niederhoffer drops a few faint hints. Unlike Cass, however, you are immediately on guard. You immediately sense that there are Issues. So when a gaslighting appears to begin, you aren't terribly shocked. Cass, on the other hand. Cass is STUPID.

Let me just ask you this: if your spouse told you, "I will kill you" and "You are going to exit my life," would you stay?

I won't even get into the meaning of the title. Suffice it to say that Cass is too lucky for her own good. She has people who believe her, even though they must - as you do - want to shout at her to WAKE UP.

I wanted to like this book. And I did, for about its first third. It isn't that it's bad, it's more that there is all this promise and then it sort of goes awry.

The story of Cass and Ryan Connor gets off to what feels like a slow start and the writing style keeps the reader at a distance from the characters. It took a while to get caught up in the story, but once I did I couldn't put it down. And I hate that I can't tell you what I loved most about the book without giving too much away. There's a lot here about whether or not women are believed and the author refers to current events where accusations were dismissed....and at times I found myself unsure whether or not I believed Cass's interpretation of events. This is one of the scariest domestic thrillers I've ever read. I didn't love the ending, but I sure enjoyed the process of getting there.

I only made it until 20 perfect on this one. Just not the right book for me, it didn’t hold my attention and I found my mind wandering. I think I’m just the wrong read for the book. Pay no attention to my star rating I had to pick something.

At its best, it's unnerving, raw, and powerful. At its worst, it is a bit overwritten and drags. I could feel my interest waning when I was reading on occasion. More dialogue and less extremely descriptive narrative would have been better for me. It is undoubtedly unique and unsettling, however. While much of the narrative was necessary in order for the reader to place themselves in the shoes of the main character, it could have been cut back a bit. I enjoyed some of the feminist undertones and felt like it made some great points, but feel I should warn those that have been in an abusive relationship that it could bring back bad memories.

Cass has what many people want... happy and healthy children, a handsome husband, a stable career, and a house of their own. She and her family have recently moved to Portland for a fresh start. She lost her first husband and father of her two eldest children a few years ago, and she and second husband Ryan have a two year old together. Ryan seems to be the perfect father, but there's more to him than meets the eye. Sure, he's successful. He cooks elaborate meals. All of the kids hero worship him. But he's starting to act different to Cass. While he denies all of her suspicions, Cass thinks that he's cheating and lying to her... and eventually, that he might not want her around anymore. Permanently. She becomes increasingly convinced he's planning to harm her as she grows more and more unstable, and the reader is left wondering who to believe.

Which way is up? I love trying to predict how books will end as they go along, but I was constantly going back and forth on this one. It still managed to surprise me. It's a very different sort of psychological thriller. I found it to be one of the creepiest I've read in awhile, but I was wishing for a little more of a faster pace.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

I had trouble getting into this book. There is some beautiful writing, as in lovely phrasing, but the plot was clunky. Cass has the perfect marriage and family life, along with a satisfying career as a journalism professor at U-Dub. As the author tries to paint a portrait of their family life, I quickly became bored. In fact, the description of Ryan and Cass’s initial romance read like a bad romance novel. I had to convince myself to keep reading. I could tell what the author was trying to do, set up the drama for the whole “psychological thriller” aspect. So, I plowed ahead. And then, it’s like a switch is flipped and Mr. Wonderful becomes Mr. Husband from Hell.

Now, you’re not expected to like Ryan once the switch has flipped. But i also found myself unable to sympathize with Cass. In fact, she really infuriated me. The woman seems to totally lack common sense. She is all too willing to be a victim and to put herself and her children at risk.

This book just didn’t do it for me. In addition to my problems with Cass’s character, the plot is like a sledgehammer hitting you over the head with how women are not believed by the police and the victim is turned into the criminal by the judicial process.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

This book was so hard to read. There was WAY too much description in this book. This book would have been way more enjoyable if half of it was cut out. At first the book seemed like it had a narrator who looked from the outside telling the story then it went to first person. Still to the very end I wasn't sure if what she was saying was true or not. I did finish this book though it wasn't a very satisfying ending to the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The story is interesting and suspenseful. The characters are complex and well described by the author so it’s easy to get a sense of who they are. It’s probably me, but there was something about this book that bothered me. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I would recommend reading the book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, my review has been voluntarily submitted.

3* Not So Perfect Family Stars

What drew me to read this book was the premise of a great psychological thriller, which involved what appeared to be the perfect family. I found the book to have too much “inner dialogue” which made it drag quite a bit and made me skim through these parts. I struggled to connect with Cass, the heroine, as she was too trusting and possibly a bit naive and complacent to what was happening around her. I wanted to scream at her to “wakeup” and notice, that what was happening to her, was not normal!

It wasn't until the last 30% of the book that things really got interesting.

ARC provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a breakdown. The breakdown of a marriage. The breakdown of trust. The breakdown of someone's mental state. This is a story about paranoia.

Cass has a happy life. Three beautiful children that she adores, a handsome husband that she loves and who loves her children like they're his own, and who love him back in kind. A great house that needs repairs, a career teaching journalism. She works hard to raise her kids and please her husband, and has a specific routine in place to do it all and have it all.

And boy, do you get to find out all about that. In extreme, long, dragging detail, thick with exposition and prose.

And then literally out of nowhere, her husband is definitely cheating on her, he's mean to her, he's mean to the kids, the kids don't trust him, he's controlling, he's making her feel crazy, she has to get out or he has to immediately EVERYTHING IS ALL WRONG WRONG WRONG.

You may think I'm talking about when the paranoia kicks in, but no. I'm just talking about the writing style of this book. Seriously, this book could have been 200 pages lighter. There's too much happening, and it could use a very strong editing hand.

The story itself is EXTREMELY interesting. I could've give up easily several times throughout, but I wanted to know what was happening, if it was all in her head or if her husband really was trying to kill her.

The actions taken by Cass are also ridiculous. Is it the paranoia? The poison she may or may not be ingesting? Is that why she does these intensely stupid things? Is that why we get told what a villain Ryan is right before the page saying how happy they all are?

The overkill in this book is intense, to the point of being nonsensical. Including the pages and pages of C&P wikipedia entries on poisons. Chemical compounds, administering, symptoms. I hope the finished copy has those italicized, because the wall o'text feature is not appealing in any book. Not even the most interesting subject can be tolerated in that format.

Seriously, take away about 200 pages and lop off and rewrite that anticlimactic and very confusing ending, and you've got a banger of a story. I'm so disappointed, because again, such a good plot.

But really, what was that ending? That didn't even make sense. All of this nonsense and then that's the smoking gun? Come on, man, that's so illogical as to make me want to throw my phone out a window just to get the ebook out of my house.

Heavy editing and a rewritten ending and this would be a solid 4 stars. As it stands, a weak 3. Sigh.

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the domestic thriller genre. Give me an unreliable narrator and an up-to-no-good husband and I am hooked. Poison by Galt Niederhoffer seemed like the exact type of book that would keep me up late into the night.

The novel surrounds a picturesque family and their suburban life. Cass and Ryan make up a newly blended family with their three children. However, Ryan has a dark side, one that keeps Cass looking over her shoulder, and when she confronts Ryan about his fidelity, Cass begins to wonder if her life is at stake. As tensions rise, Cass’s sanity is questioned and she begins to worry her children are at risk.

As I began my reading, one of the things that stood out the most for me was the style of Niederhoffer’s writing. I was drawn in immediately, almost as if I was connecting with old friends. The prose was familiar and inviting. It had me turning the pages.
One of the cleverest things about this novel was the use of the title and the ties to the plot; the jealous nature of Cass is poisoning her relationship and Cass believes that Ryan is literally poisoning her. I loved this play and exploration into literal and psychological poison. I felt captivated as I watched the story unfold. Is she actually crazy? Is she correct? Who do I believe?

I really like novels with strong characters and Poison fit this bill. Ryan was incredibly creepy and I found Cass to be very unreliable. I also loved how Niederhoffer constantly called into question the idea of the unreliable female and the doubt that those in the legal system have with a women as the victim. I felt like this is extremely prevalent in today’s society and I found myself questioning my own judgments and assessment of Cass throughout my reading.

However, I did have a few issues with this novel towards the end. About 40% of the way into the novel, I did find parts of the novel beginning to drag quite a bit. The idea of the poison is brought to light very early into the novel and teased in the synopsis, so it was very clear that Cass believed she was being poisoned. However, this was constantly drilled home for the next 30% of the book. It felt very redundant. Also, although I loved the little twist in the end, the final resolution left me feeling as if it had come out of left field.

Regardless of this, I did enjoy the easy prose and the compelling plot enough to finish this book over the course of a few sittings. This novel really gave me a B.A Paris vibe and I feel like fans of this author will really enjoy Poison.

Are you the type of woman that looks the other way when something seems amiss? Is your husband or boyfriend cheating but the consequences of confronting him are worse than the gains you get from staying? What if that confrontation leads to something more sinister? How far do you go to protect yourself and your children?

I'm a bit confused why the Kindle Edition blurb says Abigail and Benjamin when the wife and husband's names are Cass and Ryan... In any case, this is a slow burn thriller where again we have to see if the wife is crazy and imagining things or if her husband is actually psychotic and messing with her head. The pace starts out slow but slowly builds up steam. I did lose some interest in the middle as things seemed a bit repetitive and lulled... but the last few chapters had me glued to see where it was going to go.

I loved the characterization of both Cass and Ryan. Told strictly through Cass's POV, we go through the crazy with her. Is she actually just paranoid and causing this rift between her and her husband? How complicit is she in what is happening? These are the things Ryan's character starts to make you think. And he is definitely written as a smooth operator type where at times you feel for him and other times you want to drop kick him.

A solid slow burn of a domestic thriller. It didn't quite grab me as much as I wanted it to but it's a good look inside the mind of a wife fighting for her life and her children.

3.5/5 stars! Rounded up for rating.
Full review to follow on release day

4 – 4.25 STARS

Meet Cass and Ryan Conner: Perfect couple, and doting parents; married 3 years, with 1 child together and 2 from Cass’ first marriage; recently relocated from NY to Seattle; happy family unit from all accounts.

Living a seemingly idyllic life, Cass Conner’s world suddenly shifts when her dream existence becomes nothing short of a nightmare. A journalism professor and mother of 3, Cass never believed she would get a second chance at love following the death of her first husband. But, then came Ryan, the man who literally swept Cass and her children off their feet. Blissfully happy, they embarked on a whole new life. With a new addition to their family, they moved to a new city with new jobs and a new “fixer-upper” home. Everything was absolutely perfect. Until it wasn’t.

It started with subtle lies and slight omissions. Then came the odd “discoveries” that seemed to make no sense. Accusations and denials quickly followed. Ryan’s anger reared its ugly head. Their relationship crumbled, and Cass became violently ill.

Convinced that something nefarious was at play, Cass pointed a suspicious finger in Ryan’s direction. But with a lack proof to back up her accusations, Cass was readily dismissed by authorities. Ryan, on the other hand, maintained his innocence, claiming that Cass was nothing short of paranoid and delusional; hence, his fierce determination to fight for full custody of their son.

Right from the very start, “Poison” pulled me in and held me in its grip, straight through to the very end. While it took me a little bit to get used to the author’s “cut & dry” writing style, it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of this story. It was, however, the abrupt and unsatisfying ending that left me wanting more. Still, “Poison” is an enthralling, psychological thriller that kept me engaged throughout the entire book.

Cass Connor, age 40, is a busy mother of three children. Her husband, Ryan, is an architect and his late nights at work are grating on Cass. She lost her first husband and father of her two older children, but they love their stepfather. Cass and Ryan have a son together.

Cass has a great job as a professor of journalism. After their marriage, Cass and Ryan moved from New York to Seattle looking for a calmer lifestyle. They both have busy schedules, but they also have a nanny who helps out each day.

Things aren’t always good between Cass and Ryan. Sometimes she thinks he may be having an affair which he vehemently denies. But when he is shown up in his lies, his reaction is violence against Cass.

When Cass shows physical signs of having been poisoned, she is faced with an uphill fight to prove that Ryan is trying to kill her. But how does she convince the courts to believe her?

This is a good story that shows how women have to work harder to be believed in the court system. The interesting part is the discussion about heavy metal poisons and how they can be ingested by someone and what the reactions can be. I think readers will enjoy how these two people play off against one another. Almost makes a person want to stay single.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.