Wow! Wow! And yet another Wow! This book had me going through hoops trying to work out what the hell was going on! There are twists galore and so many red herrings that I was getting really annoyed with myself that I couldn't predict what was going to happen......and by the time I got to the end I realised why!! It's such a cleverly crafted book that it will keep you guessing throughout, I guarantee!

When we first meet Catherine she is a happy bride to be, engaged to the gorgeous Dominic and looking forward to married life. She has wealthy parents and with no real need to work, she volunteers at the local food bank. We know from the prologue that her sister Rachel died in a skiing accident but that, although she was so distressed at the time, Catherine was relieved to be free from Rachel's nasty and vindictive behaviour. So when she receives a parcel that contains something that belonged to her older sister, she is shocked to find a nasty surprise hidden within. More incidents occur and Catherine realises that they are all linked to her dead sister. But what happened on that tragic ski holiday? Is Rachel really behind these increasingly vicious incidents? Catherine is determined to discover the truth at any cost!

I love a twisty book! In fact, the twistier the better for me as I love to be challenged and Forget Her Name was one of the twistiest I have read for some time! I physically couldn't stop reading it and I have to say that my jaw firmly hit the floor when the plot finally came together! In fact, there were so many "what the hell did I just read?" moments that I often stopped to re-read certain bits just to make sure I had totally understood! Apart from that though, I raced through Forget Her Name, completely gripped by it's multifaceted storyline, desperate for the pieces of the puzzle to finally fall into place. 

I have read a few books by Jane Holland before but this has definitely been my favourite so far. It's a dark and often disturbing psychological thriller full of interesting and complex characters that I found fascinating to watch as they interacted with each other. I rather felt like Catherine herself at times, trusting no-one and questioning everything I was told. Forget Her Name is a highly addictive page turner that I'm convinced you won't forget in a hurry!

This review is written with thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of Forget Her Name. Catherine is preparing for her wedding to fiance, Dominic, when she receives a package at her work place - a snow globe, belonging to her sister, Rachel, who died when they were children. Rachel's life was troubled, and Catherine is still living with the memories of some of the upsetting things she did, so when she receives the snow globe, it feels like someone is trying to send a message to her. But who is sending the messages, and why?
From the moment Catherine receives Rachel's snow globe, it is clear that something is amiss, and I wanted to find out what! It is this that kept me turning pages, and it is heightened by the sense of secrecy that surrounds Catherine's family. Her parents clearly want what is best for her, but their privileged lifestyle means that they have outdated views, so I found it difficult to like them, and this made me more determined that Catherine should discover the truth. Catherine's lifestyle contrasts with that of her parents, and her work in a food bank, as well as Dominic's job as a nurse allows Holland to comment on the current political climate in a subtle manner, and make Forget Her Name relevant to many readers. I enjoyed this aspect of the novel.
The plot of Forget Her Name is very cleverly constructed, and my guesses at what was happening were so far off the mark! There are so many twists as the novel goes on, and whilst I felt that some of them were slightly far fetched, they gripped me right until the end.
I have read several books recently with mental health as a central theme, and I was impressed by Holland's exploration of the subject in an original way. She has used her research well to create a dark and chilling atmosphere that really draws the reader in.

This was a very well written and exciting book. Also sad to be one person with two names, one good and one evil. Could not put it down,

Well, this book kept me on my toes a bit! When we first meet her, Catherine, Cat, is preparing for her wedding to Dominic. Her life hasn't been all that easy due on the whole to the death of her sister Rachel during a skiing holiday when she was a child. Things really changed after that incident. Mostly her parents and their relationship with her as the surviving child. There are a few things that Cat can't really understand about that time; a few things don't add up for her but, as her parents refuse to talk about both that in particular and Rachel in general she doesn't really have much choice than to accept and try to move on with her life. And that life is now with Dominic.
But, one day she receives a message from her past in the form of a snow globe. Not just a snow globe but, on further inspection it's Rachel's snow globe and to top things off nicely, there's something in it that shouldn't be there. Then Cat's wedding dress gets ruined and other strange things start happening. But Rachel is dead. Isn't she? It's time for the truth to come out once and for all, but what is the truth and why are those who know it reluctant to tell it?
Once I started this book I had to finish it. It took me all round the houses and then some as the author spun all the threads around and about before spinning them all into a rather nifty conclusion. A reveal that I did toy with myself along the way but was never completely 100% over until there was far too much evidence revealed for me to ignore it. But one that had me a tad shocked and reeling over what I was reading.
In Rachel, the author has created a very interesting character. As a child, some of the things she got up to, the delicious manipulations and attempts to blame others and the repercussions of her actions by her caregivers held me totally rapt. What a nasty piece of work. And there she is now in the present day, her shadow still casting mayhem on her family from beyond the grave. Or from wherever she is now; but that's not for me to say either way here - spoilers!
Oh how I felt for Cat along the way. All she wants to do is put the past behind her and get on with marrying her A&E nurse fiance Dominic and continue to volunteer at the food bank but no one can really fully escape their past, especially if there is stuff left unresolved, and as we all know, wounds left open tend to fester and get worse. But bless her, I just wanted to make everything alright for her as things went on.
I can't really say any more without the fear of saying something I really shouldn't. So I am going to leave it here with just the recommend that you stop reading reviews and just read the book before you read something that will spoil it for you.
This is a new author for me but one with an impressive back catalogue that I can't wait to investigate further. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I have no idea how on earth I am supposed to describe this book, but I will say I was gripped from the start and read it in 3 hours flat, without pausing except to tell mum to stop talking at me as there was only 10% left..and that yes I had started it at dinner time!!

The first of my "OMG WTF" moments came at the end of the first chapter, and it was one of many. For over half the book I wax utterly convinced I had cracked what was happening, but evidently I was wrong and thankfully don't have the dark depths to my being to even contemplate just how many layers are in this book that have been crafted so carefully that you are literally guessing and unsure as to the potential ending the entire time.

I would love to tell you about the book but given what I now know, there is very little I can say that won't give potential hints as to the plot and what may be crucial, or a double bluff or something else at any given time.

Regardless it was an immensely cleverly crafted story with some truly memorable characters. Forget Her Name is a book that got under my skin, I didn't particularly find it creepy, although in places it was slightly disturbing.

I had a lot of empathy for the main character, especially when seeing how others were reacting to her various claims. It was like there was a mystery wrapped up in a psychological drama, that just works on so many levels.

I truly believe this could be Jane Holland's best book so far and I've read quite a few of them. It has everything you want in this sort of book, and a premise that I haven't seen before, at least not in this way.

Absolutely amazing, ultimately I dare you to Forget Her Name after you see what she has been through in this book, I bet you won't be able to!

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

#ForgetherName by Jane Holland
#NetGalley
1/18/2018

You definitely know that there’s going to be no dull moments when in the first chapter a woman receives her dead sister’s snow globe with a real eyeball floating inside! Thankfully the book continues with almost nonstop action. It kind of reminds me of the old movie the Gaslight where someone is slowly but surely driving his wife crazy. Catherine was 12 when her 13 1/2 year old sister Rachel died but she is now given to believe that Rachel is not really dead and tries to solve the mystery while being perceived as crazy by the people close to her both at work and at home. Things seem to escalate when she and new husband Dominic move in with her parents. I am going to stop here before I spoil the ending but I never in a million years have guessed the ending! Great book from beginning to end and I would happily recommend this book to anyone. I received this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.
After all the great reviews I read about this book, I was looking forward to reading it, but was a little disappointed. The tension felt too overdone and the ending fell flat for me. Catherine is getting married to Domenic, the love of her life. But shortly before the wedding nasty things start to happen, the first of which is the delivery of a snow globe from her past.
It belonged to her sister, Rachel, who died in a ski accident in the Swiss Alps a decade ago. Then her wedding dress is slashed, Rachel's name is signed on her work documents even a family member receives a note just before the wedding. Did Rachel really die? And why are her parents so secretive about the subject, not wanting to discuss Rachel's accident at all? Catherine, who was only 12 at the time, has only foggy memories, most of them extremely unpleasant. Rachel made their lives hell and Catherine was guiltily relieved when she was gone. Now, when she's about to start the happiest chapter of her life, it's as if Rachel has come back to haunt her...

Beautiful writing style that has you gripped from the first few pages. Well formed characters that have you feeling their emotions for them, such an amazing talent to be able to project the written word into such heartfelt scenarios throughout the book.
I simply could not put the book down!
From the outset the story lures you in to a false sense of security and makes you mistrustful of the people that cat/rach should be able to lean on when these awful events unfold..... until you feel you can’t trust her, you know there’s something she’s hiding and it’s big! But when you find out how big it turns the story line upside down!
You go from feeling for the main character to been dismissive and almost wanting to ostracise her, before another twist has you once again rooting for her to come out the other side as unscathed as possible.
The only thing that bothered me was her ankle, one sentence she's saying that it’s fine and not bothering her then only a few sentences later its throbbing and aching, needs to make her mind up!
That said it was a riveting read and one I would recommend to friends and family

This is the story of Cat, a thirty-something woman who lost her sister Rachel when she was a child but, the details are a little murky. Her sister is always on her mind, especially when she starts to receive some disturbing "gifts" in the mail, hints that there is more to her sister's death than she knows. There are some twists and surprises in the book and it held my interest. If you like psychological mysteries - I would recommend this book.

Who will win the end? Cat can't wait to get married to Dom and then everything will be fine. But she has returned a strange gift in the mail but it can't be possible her sister is dead. So how did the snow globe that her sister dead sister Rachel have make its way to her? More events start happening and Cat fears that someone is trying to drive her insane. But her partners and husband Dom think that she is making everything up that she is unstable but what has Cat done to deserve this? Can she find out the truth about her sister's death and make sure that she is actually dead and not just hiding? Rachel made her life a living hell and she is afraid that she is back but that isn't possible? So has Cat lost her mind completely and will Rachel come back and stay for good this time? Her parents are two people that tried so hard to keep her safe and now they have to face that they can't keep her hidden anymore. Dom is a evil bastard I can understand why he did what he did but he really messed with Cat's mind. A very intense read that deals with mental illness and yes it must be horrible to be in Cat's position and I wish that more people would understand that it is really hard to cope day by day and all we actually want is help & understanding. I received a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house a copy in exchange for my honest review.

imageMy Review of “Forget Her Name” by Jane Holland Thomas & Mercer , January 25, 2018

“Forget Her Name” by Author Jane Holland is a very intense and captivating novel. The genres for this novel are Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Fiction. Kudos to Jane Holland for weaving such an intricate, disturbing and anxiety provoking plot. There are twists and turns.

The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, quirky, strange, and mysterious. Almost every character seems to be suspect for any wrongdoing. Catherine is preparing her wedding with her fiancé, Dominic, when suddenly a snow-globe that had belonged to her deceased sister Rachel, arrives at her office where she volunteers. In the snowball is an eyeball. It seems that Rachel had been extremely mentally unstable and had been cruel and done horrifying acts. Other strange and bizarre messages and things happen. Why are these happening? Who is sending these things? Catherine is visibly shaken and visits her parents to see if there are any clues to why this is happening.

Catherine’s parents seem to be over protective and over possessive. They appear to be quite a dysfunctional family. Catherine’s fiancé/husband Dominic at times seems to be supportive and at other times is strange. There are secrets, revenge, plots, and at time a red herring thrown in.

I would recommend this novel for those readers that enjoy a Psychological thriller, mystery and suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I received An Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review.

Forget Her Name is told from Catherine’s viewpoint as she first receives her sister’s snow globe, throughout her wedding and the events that follow. I felt her fear and confusion, and desperately wanted to know who it was behind the sinister events that kept happening. The distrust she felt for her parents, and the growing insecurity she felt regarding Dominic, other family members, and friends, only drew me into her world further. My own theories as to who was/wasn’t involved kept changing with every twist and turn.

The plot is gripping and the mystery will keep you flipping the pages. The ending is unsettling, but suited the characters perfectly.

If you like mystery novels with a psychological edge then add Forget Her Name to your to-be-read-list now.

I received a free copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book that messes with your mind!! In a good but twisted way!

This is the story of Cat, from a privileged upbringing, volunteering at a food bank, and preparing for her wedding to Dominic who is a nurse. Life all seems pretty settled for her, until she receives a rather chilling 'gift' in the post from her past and her whole world is thrown into chaos as she begins to doubt the past.

Her sister, Rachel, died on a skiing holiday as a child and although the event was traumatic, the family rarely spoke of it as her sister was no angel. With these strange occurences it seems that there was more to the Rachel story than her parents told her and Cat is left going out of her mind trying to figure out what happened, and why someone is trying to rock the boat. She is questioning her sanity, and her family question it too as they grow increasingly concerned over her behaviour and worries.

I found this to be a very unsettling read full of twists that I never saw coming, and really well paced and quite dark!! Also loved that it was partly set in Hanwell, Ealing as that was where my nan lived so I could easily picture the location!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc in return for an honest review.

After reading previous books by Jane Holland i was wondering if she could keep up her high standard.With Forget Her Name she once again has not disappointed.Catherine is getting married to Dominic when she starts receiving gifts and strange things start happening to her which she can only put down to events which took place in her past with her sister Rachel who died in Switzerland in an accident which was never explained to her.Catherine is intent on finding out who is trying to mess with her life and why ? What follows is yet again a superb psychological thriller that had me gripped from beginning to end.Another blinding 5 star read from Jane Holland.

We learn early in the story that Rachel, Catherine older sister has died and Catherine is not upset about her sister's death because Rachel made Catherine's and her parents life miserable and was a nightmare to live with. Fast-forward to Catherine as an adult about to get married - her life seems perfect until she gets a parcel containing a snow globe that belong to her sister. Catherine starts to believe that Rachel didn't die ......
I thought that the story was very interesting and it was well written page-turner - I wanted to really like this book but I just found it a little over-dramatic with the chapters which so often ended on a cliff-hanger and the twists and turns towards the end of the story reminded me of the late night commercials with their 'but wait there's more'. Regardless of how I feel about the book in general, the characters and the story are probably going to stay with me for a while.
I would not enthusiastically recommend this book but I won't tell anyone to not bother reading it - it is a good story and, due to the complexity of the story, is better than some of the 'thrillers with a surprising twist' (as the Amazon heading describes them) that are out there.

Forget Her Name by Jane Holland A gripping thriller with a twist you won't see coming, how many times that tag line has been used. Yeah, right...you think, only to be disappointed at the end. Thinking that I had the twist all figured out in the first quarter of the book only to change my mind half way through. Then the story imploded in an entirely different direction and I most definitely had not seen that twist coming. Very well done, characters you can love or hate or both. Viable atmospheric descriptions.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

A chilling psychological thriller that plays with your mind. Catherine is volunteering in a food bank when she receives a parcel. It contains her dead sisters snow globe from when they were children however there is something inside it. Things soon get worse and she has to tell her fiance Dominic whom to date she has only told certain things about Rachel- the dead sister - as the rest is too horrific for her to even think about and she doesn’t want to put him off before the wedding. This is so well written that it grabs you from the start. A rather sinister plot that gave me the creeps a little in parts but kept me reading wanting to find out more. I read this in two sittings- it gripped me so much I couldn’t put it down. I won’t give anything away other than to say expect the unexpected. Expect your mind to be confused and go around in circles.You think you have it sussed and then another twist and turn. One you will be thinking about long after you have read it. A well written, very different, compelling read. (rest of links on blog tour day)

What a book this is!

Catherine (aka Cat) loses her older sister Rachel, at the tender age of 12, in a skiing accident.
Growing up, Cat has spent years trying to forget her dead sister and her cruel trick - because Rachel was evil; she was vicious and highly disturbed, and she made everyone's life miserable. As much as Cat loved her, she was also secretly pleased that Rachel was dead.

The present:
Cat volunteers in a food bank. She is preparing for her wedding to Dominic, a nurse in the NHS.. She has never been happier or more excited about her future. But then she receives an anonymous package, addressed to her, at the food bank. It contains a snow globe, one which is very familiar - because it belongs to Rachel!
This is the first in a series of ominous messages, which all point to Rachel's presence.
While Cat wants to enjoy and focus on her new life with Dominic, someone out there seems intent on ensuring her mental peace is totally disturbed.
But who? And why?

Cat slowly starts to believe that Rachel is still alive and her parents have hidden this fact from her.
People around her don't believe what she says.
Those who have survived a traumatic event where others died, even when they don't remember it properly, can experience an overwhelming sense of guilt.

Could Cat be imagining these things?
Is she suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, which is making her subconsciously do all these things, with no recollection?
Or is it someone else, who clearly doesn't want her to have a happy marriage with Dominic?
Worse still, are her parents hiding something from her, and is Rachel really alive?

Fast-paced, racy, and a brilliantly crafted psychological thriller, which will leave you guessing till the end.
You will suspect everybody - but the twist in the end is mind-boggling!

A must read for all fans of this genre!

Well, where to start. At the halfway point of this book I thought I knew which way the story was heading, but no and by the 70% point I figured I would end up changing my opinion of the the main character and I did but for a totally different (and unexpected) reason. Then at the 95% point I was taken in a completely different direction. I love books that do that, so well done to Jane Holland. Her writing is fab and I really enjoyed this book. I'll be reading more books by Holland for sure!

A compellingly dark read with several unexpected twists along the way, admittedly I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable but that probably helps the storyline.