Unfortunately (or maybe ironically), for a book entitled Forget Her Name, this book is utterly forgettable.

There wasn't much to like about any of these characters, and the main twist was ... disappointing to say the least. In fact, I had it figured out within the first few chapters - it was that obvious (for me anyway). The characters had no redeeming qualities (although in some cases it made sense), but for the most part this story just seemed full of unnecessary elements that did more to drag the story down than it did to build suspense or add any kind of "twist".

What sealed the fate of this story for me was the utterly laughable and improbable ending. After everything that had happened - all the things these characters had endured and put each other through - and that is how the author decided to end it? I guess it could be said the ending was surprising in a way as I never expected it to play out the way it did.

Overall, I am sure this novel may still appeal to some readers. It just wasn't for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

4.5/5 stars. So I stumbled across this book while looking through the "Read Now" books on NetGalley. I didn't know the author and I hadn't really heard anything about this book but when I looked it up on Goodreads, it had great reviews so I figured why not!? I can honestly say this just may be one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year! My goodness! Where is the hype?! The first big twist made my mouth drop open! I think it may still be hanging actually. I read many psychological thrillers and this one surprised me!

Catherine is our main narrator, well actually the only narrator which I really liked. She receives a snow globe in the mail, a snow globe that was her sister Rachel's. Her dead sister I might add. Rachel died on a skiing trip as a child. Rachel was evil and Catherine lets us know she wasn't all that torn up about her death . She tortured Catherine and made Catherine’s life hell. Other weird things start happening to Catherine that remind her solely of her sister. Catherine was young and never actually saw Rachel die nor did she go to the funeral, could Rachel still be alive and taunting her? What are her parents hiding?

Blown away, I must say, that the second big twist I could have went without. It was just a little too much for me, the first alone was quite satisfactory. This was a very well written, addictive and suspenseful read and I am so glad I stumbled upon it on NetGalley! I will be looking for this author's future work.
A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the chance of an advanced copy!




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Catherine and her family have a huge secret: she has an older sister, Rachel, who died in a skiing accident when Catherine was a pre-teen, and they were all scared of her. Since her death, it's like she never existed. Even daring to speak her name is enough to upset everyone. Years later, Catherine is getting ready to marry the love of her life when someone starts terrorizing her in Rachel's name. Everyone's acting like it couldn't possibly be Rachel because she's been dead for many years. Or is she? What is everyone hiding from Catherine?

This is such an interesting read because it's like one big puzzle that I was sorting out while Catherine was trying to get answers. There's the main set of characters, which include Catherine as well as her parents and fiance. Then there's the characters that pop in and out, such as friends and the people Catherine work with. These characters are presented in a way that made me aware that something was amiss. It's clear that Rachel is the huge ghostly elephant in the room that everyone is avoiding like the plague. As the story continues, we get to know these characters better, including Rachel through Catherine's memories.

The mystery is a slow burn as we watch Catherine become more agitated by whoever is terrorizing her. It starts with someone mailing her Rachel's snow globe with an eye inside of it and slowly escalates to destroying Catherine's property. The odd thing is that no one believes Catherine, not even the police. Everyone thinks she's imagining things, doing it for attention, or that it's stress related and she just doesn't remember. Poor Catherine just wants answers, but no one wants to talk about it. Once the story gets rolling, it quickly spins out of control and we understand exactly what's happening and why everyone was so tight lipped until the 65% mark.

As I got closer to the halfway point, I had more than one theory about what was happening. My first theory was close, but didn't hit the nail on the head. The layers just peel off and I was left with an answer for everything. I was shocked about some of the revelations pertaining to one character that seemed a bit off, but I wasn't sure what it was until the ball was rolling. Sadly, I didn't care for the ending. I understand where Holland was going with it, but it just seemed too good to be true. However, it is a wonderful book and I was sitting on the edge of my seat until the very end and I would read it again.

fast read, suspenseful, keeps you on the edge of your seat. Is she really dead? is it all a prank? Is someone out to get her? Read and find out...

Jane Holland is not an author I have read before but having read some good reviews decided I would like to read it myself.
Catherine is enjoying preparing for her upcoming wedding to Dominic, but her excitement turns to horror when a package is delivered to her containing her sister Rachel's snow globe with an eyeball in it. This is followed by other odd occurrences and Catherine starts to wonder if her seriously disturbed sister Rachel is really dead.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic book, I read this in one go, I couldn't put it down.

I really wanted to like this book, especially with all the 5-star reviews on GoodReads. Recently, I have begun reading more and more psychological thrillers and, at the same time, they all seem to follow the same formula. Crappy or misleading husband/lover, wife/ex-wife is an alcoholic or suffers from mental illness, something /crazy/ happens - but it's not what you think!!! I don't know. I really wanted this one to surprise me or make fun of those tropes.

Jane Holland is a great writer and knows how to engage the reader; however, some of the dialogue felt stilted. Also, the book seemed to jump around time-wise.

I want to say that I "didn't see that coming!", but I definitely saw it coming.

This book is recommended for those who enjoy a good thriller with plot twists and manipulative characters; it just wasn't for me.

I absolutely loved this thriller! As Catherine prepares to marry Dominic, the love of her life, she begins receiving odd and frightening "gifts" that reawaken memories of her sister, Rachel who died when she was young. Haunted by these visions, Catherine is determined to discover what really happened and why her parents are keeping these secrets from her. I was certain I had it figured it out but I had motives and secrets all wrong! Each page kept me gasping with surprise and suspense. Great sassy characters, snappy dialogue, and breakneck pacing all combine to make this an unputdownable novel! Will definitely read more by this author!

10☆ Utterly Fantastic!!! WOW! What a read!

Expertly written
A Masterful play on all my emotions
Words cannot describe how utterly fantastic this book is.
More intricately juicy lil twists you don't see coming.
Unnerving, captivating, thrilling, very clever, unsettling, devious, Minipulative, passionate, raw, revenge, creepy.
I honestly didn't see that coming!

The Characters in Forget Her Name are perfect! I didn't like Cat's parents but now i understand why I didn't like them and it all made sense!
Dominic was the perfect character, strong, sexy, over powering, protective
Cat's character was brilliant she was vulnerable, clever, strong.
Oh and who could forget Rachel the sick, Minipulative, evil, twisted sister who died in Switzerland..... or did she???

I can't go into detail as it would simply ruin the plot but Forget Her Name is my Top Book this year so far!
I know it's early to say but I think this book is going to be a big hit!

I would like to make a point of saying that I loved that Jane has put in some very current issues into the story.... such as the NHS Crisis and the increasing need for Food Banks. So thank you for highlighting the reality of life!

This book does contain issues about mental health and sex scenes.

I read Forget Her Name in one night. It simply is addictive!
The best Pschological Thriller I've read in a while that completely threw me off guard!
I had absolutely no idea how it would end up or who it was.
Utterly Fantastic!!!

If you pick up one Pschological Thriller this month let it be Forget Her Name.
You won't be disappointed!

Catherine is an enigma. She’s about to be married to a wonderful man who loves her dearly and wants to take care of her, but she’s hiding awful secrets from him about her “evil” sister, Rachel, who died when they were children. When strange and terrifying things connected with Rachel start to happen to Catherine, she has to find out who is wreaking havoc in her life. Could Rachel still be alive? Why won’t her parents tell her how her sister died?

This is a psychological roller coaster that will leave you breathless. The reader cannot help but feel Catherine’s state of mental anguish, fear and frustration building throughout the book, and when the truth comes out (predictable to this reader), another twist to the plot is revealed and the suspense starts all over again. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers with shady characters and totally unexpected endings, take a look at this book.

Cat is engaged to Dominic and is planning her wedding. She starts experiencing strange events and receives a snow globe in a package that belonged to her dead sister, Rachel. There is a mystery about Rachel sice her parents will not discuss her but you wonder if Rachel is still alive. The story unfolds as she is try to move on with her life but there are surprises along the way that you don't expect. The end really floored me and was frankly unbelievable. However a lot of things made sense too. It was a good story overall and keeps you enthralled.

Catherine is getting married. An exciting time of plans and preparations with her beloved Dominic. What bliss. UNTIL a package is delivered to her containing her sister Rachel's snow globe. With an eyeball in it! This is exactly something Rachel would do. IF she were still alive!

Catherine would much rather thoughts of her seriously disturbed sister remain a thing of the past. But when strange occurrences keep happening, Catherine soon starts to question who could be tormenting her in such a cruel way. It may seem crazy, but is her sister truly dead?

What I thought :

Firstly, it is so refreshing to read a book that doesn't alternate between before and after chapters or chapters with different POV, the market is saturated with them. Writing the book this way greatly helped with the flow of the story, enhancing my curiosity, making me want to read just a tad more after finishing each chapter.

My interest certainly got piqued as all the disturbing incidents left me with more and more questions the further along I read. Though, the buildup and pace for me was still on the slow side until around the 70% mark, where the major twist is revealed and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together. But don't fret about this reveal as there is much more excitement to come as things get a lot more heated and interesting. We are given some answers here that I initially thought was clichéd, but don't let that put you off. The author does a great job of giving the reader a fresh take on this concept. Don't fool yourself into thinking this will be a predictable read from here on out.

From this point on, the story picked up at a roaring speed, spicing things up with delectable and unexpected twists and revelations that soon tied up the story very cleverly. Even if the final development between Catherine and Dominic seemed improbable, I was happy to suspend belief in this instance.

The complex, multilayered characters were spot on. Most of them not very likeable, but the author nailed it with slowly divulging why they are the way the are. My suspicions were vigorously stirred up as I doubted and questioned each one of them at one stage or another.

If you're into unnerving, disturbing psychological thrillers that builds up suspense until the twisty, unanticipated conclusion, with intricate, complex characters, why not give this one a go. I challenge you to see if you can discover the truth before our protagonist does.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer as well as Jane Holland for an ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review "Forget Her Name" by Jane Holland. Let me just start my saying this was a total and complete mind twister. I was so shocked at the events that played out. I could not put this book down. I finished it in about a day and a half. Catherine is a woman from a privileged background who volunteers at a food bank. She is engaged to be married to a man named Dominic. As the wedding draws closer, strange events happen that make Catherine question what happened to her sister, Rachael when she died many years ago. An amazing work. of suspense and mystery. I was hooked from the start but completely mystified in the end. Thank you for an amazing read! Looking forward to more from Jane Holland in the future.

This was a fast read with lots of suspense. Is Rachel dead or alive? Didn't love the main character Catherine but this was still a very disturbing suspenseful read!

Many thanks to the author, publishers and Rachel Gilbey of Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me and for my ecopy of the book.
Well, Jane Holland certainly hasn't made this easy for me, I think I've spent longer trying to figure out exactly what to say in my review than I did actually reading the book! I picked up Forget Her Name intending to just make a start reading it, a few hours later I put it back down having been completely absorbed in this superlative psychological thriller. I really don't want to say too much about the plot though; there are so many surprising twists and turns, it's a book that really needs to be experienced rather than explained - suffice to say that trying to agree on venues and seating plans is nothing compared to what Catherine endures prior to her wedding to Dominic. She is perplexed when she is sent a snow globe that once belonged to her deceased older sister, Rachel and horrified to discover a gruesome addition to its contents. This is just the start of her nightmare, however, and before long Catherine's life has taken a sinister turn - but will anybody listen to her fears? Catherine's memories of Rachel may be confused but they suggest she was a damaged individual; manipulative, amoral and sadistic. There's something Catherine hasn't been told though, is Rachel really dead?
The plot is riveting then and it's matched by some excellent characterisation. I actually didn't particularly like any of the people in the book, so the fact I enjoyed it so much is a testament to Jane Holland's writing. She understands that readers don't have to like characters but they do have to be interested in their stories, what compels them to act the way they do, what secrets are they hiding? I couldn't help but feel for Catherine as her life seems to spiral out of control but her actions are sometimes far from straightforward, frequently frustrating and at times left me staggered. I had conflicting feelings about her parents too, pity for their loss, and anger at the way they seemed to be treating Catherine. They have a privileged background and don't really understand why she has chosen to volunteer at a food bank and marry A&E nurse, Dominic. I had the impression they still wanted to control her life, understandably considering what they went through with Rachel but whatever mysteries they are desperate to keep in the past surely can't stay concealed forever.
As my assumptions and theories were proved wrong time and again I raced though the book, my jaw frequently dropping to the floor. Forget Her Name is a dark, intelligently crafted and unsettling thriller with a shocking ending that might divide opinions but I loved it. This is the first book I've read by Jane Holland but I certainly won't be forgetting her name!

Rachel or Catherine? What really happened to my sister? A suspenseful book about an adult Catherine who is trying to make a life for herself when events surface from the past concerning her dead sister Rachel! Is Rachel really dead? What actually happenedin Switzerland when we were twelve and thirteen? Why can’t I remember? A book about covering up and trying to deal with situations that are sometimes beyond our control. Thanks netgalley for this thriller .,

Wow! Great book, with so many twists & turns! Just when I thought I had everything figured out, something else was thrown into the storyline. Highly recommend, Thanks so much to the Publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

What The Hell!!!!! this is a good what the hell by the way. I was only going to read a few chapters of this book and then crack on with a bit of housework….. yeah right….. read the book and left the housework 🙂 So where to start with this book, Catherine is just weeks away from getting married to Dominic when she starts getting odd things sent to her. Catherine had an older sister who had died, but then had a snow globe that was her sisters sent to her, this is only the start of things. Rachel and her death was something that Catherine’s parents never discussed properly with her, but now maybe it is the time for finding out the truth.

This is such a wonderful read. Half way through I had worked the book out and was just going along for the ride. Worked it out, well in my head I had, but the author had other ideas about that. I was so way off the mark, and loved being taken on the journey that had me guessing, kept me riveted and intrigued. The plot takes you along a road that seems quite normal, but then you realise this is all an illusion, you have actually ended up on a deep, dark and twisted path, the author has you where she wants you right from the off. The creative and imaginative plot is full of surprises and suspense, Jane only lets you know where the plot is going when she is ready to reveal all.

The characters are memorable and well described and have been used in an imaginative way, they compliment as well as contrast each other. There are class differences between Catherine and Dominic and the author has dipped into that aspect really well. The pace of this started along quite nicely as we learn the details of the characters, but before long it speeds to a really great page turner pace.

This is my first experience reading Jane’s books and she has blown me away with this one, it is amazingly twisted and addictive. A powerful, well written book that explores dark psychological drama.

This is a book I Highly Recommend those who like a tense, suspenseful drama that sows seeds of doubt into the reader. A clever psychological read that has many good twists and feels very different to other books I have read in this genre.

WOW!

Forget Her Name is a twisty turny book that I’m not going to forget in a while. It’s the type of book, where you think you kind of have an inkling of what is to come and where you think it may head….. Chances are though, you will be like me and get it completely wrong.

Jane Holland has written the story so well that you aren’t really sure what to believe. Just as you think the story is going down one route, the rug is completely pulled from under you as you hurtle towards another conclusion.

This book is easily a book that you find yourself reading in one sitting as you begin to doubt what you’ve learnt, racing from chapter to chapter. You feel empathy for Catherine, the main character as she prepares for her wedding to Dominic, whilst the shadow of the death of her older sister Rachel, when they were children, looms over her. Is she just becoming overwhelmed or is something more sinister afoot? Is there more to Rachel’s death than meets the eye?

It’s hard to go into more detail without spoiling the plotline but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend to people who enjoy the surprise twists and turns of a pyschological thriller.

I can’t wait to read more by Jane Holland as if all her books are as good as this one……

Catherine’s sister Rachel died on a skiing holiday as a child. Rachel wasn’t the best sister ever. She was cruel, vicious and a psychopath in the making who made Catherine’s life a living hell. Years later, Catherine is preparing to get married when she starts receiving taunting messages relating to Rachel. But from whom? And why? Catherine doesn’t remember much about the holiday in Switzerland or the day her sister died. Could her parents have lied to her all these years? Is Rachel still alive?

Well now, this one took me totally by surprise. If you follow my blog, then you know I read quite a lot of psychological thrillers and it’s getting harder for authors to surprise me. So quite early on, I was convinced I knew exactly what was going on and I was reading on, all smug-like, thinking this story was going to be incredibly predictable, when boom! Where the heck did that come from? And that’s all I’ll say about that. The less you know about the plot the better, so you can have your own boom moment. 😄

None of these characters were particularly likeable. I especially had issues with Catherine’s parents, although as the story goes on, the reasons for their odd behaviour are somewhat understandable. Yet all of them were brilliantly multi-layered and complex and I had no idea if any of them were trustworthy.

I must say, that ending though. I don’t normally mention those but this one has me insanely conflicted. It’s one of those “holy cow, I can’t believe you went there!” moments and I’m still trying to figure out whether I like it or not. Mind blown! I love it when that happens!

Despite me (wrongly) thinking I had this whole thing sussed, I was still utterly gripped and glued to the pages. Forget Her name is incredibly addictive and you’ll want to make sure you have the time to read this in one sitting. There’s a wonderfully dark and disturbing vibe, the suspense doesn’t let up at all and you’ll find yourself flipping the pages faster as you go. If you enjoy your psychological thrillers, I have no doubt you’ll like this thoroughly entertaining and twisty story!