Really good! The story begins with Maggie entering a plea of manslaughter. Then it goes back to Maggie waking up from a coma that she has been in for sic weeks since the day of the accident. She is told that her daughter is dead and her husband has disappeared.

This novel is highly recommended!

Wow what a fab read, lots of twists & kept me guessing. First book I’ve read by this author & defiantly won’t be the last!

This is a well written thriller which had me turning pages well into the night. The story line is exciting and moving as the reader discovers Maggie waking up to find out that her daughter is dead and her husband is missing and has been since their daughter’s funeral. My thanks to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book kept me gripped and wanting to read more, I really felt for the main character throughout! Not overly keen on the ending but it wasn’t bad there was a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming, overall a good read and I would recommend it!

Thank you for the advance copy of 'The Day of the Accident'.

This was a suspenseful read and one really feels sympathy for Maggie and the unanswered questions she has about her daughter's accident. I did not see the ending coming and felt a little deflated when it was revealed but would recommend this book. It is extremely readable and well plotted.

Wow! I had to read this book in one sitting as it had me gripped from the beginning page until the very last page. Very cleverly written with a twist I didn't see coming (and I'm usually very apt at guessing twists) which was very refreshing.
I was kept wondering all through the book wether it was an accident and who was writing the letters and what had really happened to elspeth.
More of this please!

A good plot which was fast paced and never predictable. The characters were not the usual but were flawed and interesting giving the story a nice depth. An enjoyable read.

Wow! This is a fabulous book! I only hope my review can do it justice. I was completely gripped from the first paragraph. Totally drawn in to Maggie's world and the unimaginable tragedy she's been through. The story is set out very cleverly, the first chapter makes you question every sentence of what follows. The writing is brilliant, and all the characters are well drawn and credible. I was completely absorbed, didn't want to put it down and so, when the dogs woke me at 3am, I used it as a reason to sit up and carry on reading. Utterly gripping and completely compelling. This isn't the first time Nuala Ellwood has blown my socks off, (in fact Ms Ellwood, you owe me £3.99 for the last pair that disappeared!), and I'm sure it won't be the last. A fantastic writer who possesses the ability to reach in and touch her reader's soul. Superb.

Enjoyed this book, really suspenseful, but found the ending a bit disappointing to be honest.
Would give this author another go though as build up during book was good

Exciting and clever, this well written thriller will have you turning pages well into the night. It is exciting and moving as we follow Maggie as she wakes up to discover that her daughter is dead and her husband is missing and has been since their daughters funeral

A must read for those who enjoy this genre

This book grips you from start to finish. You just didn’t know what was going to happen next and I defy anyone to guess! A great mystery/thriller from Nuala Elwood which keeps you interested to the very end.

THIS IS A BOOK!!😃
In my top 5 of the year, so far

Maggie wales from a coma
She remembers little
Thankfully though she does remember she has a daughter, Elspeth and a husband Sean
Then she is told
There was an accident
Elspeth is dead
Sean hasnt been seen for 6 weeks, he just stopped visiting......

And so the hard hitting, tense story starts and doesnt stop
The narrative goes from present to the past and soon you realise that what seemed a normal happy family was anything but.....lies, secrets, nasty lies and disgusting unforgivable secrets are discovered and piece by piece you get the story as to why Maggie is in the unenviable position she is in

I really love these in depth, layered psychological thrillers that are full on and make you think you have the answers only to reveal, you havent!!

A very tense, emotive and dark book where you feel real empathy for Maggie as recovering from a coma, you feel the pain, pressure and frustration she is going through as the author paints a very vivid picture of her struggle to come to terms with the awful events that she now has to face

A very atmospheric read where disbelief and reality roll into one to make a chilling and unputdownable book

A book that will stay with you for a long time after you read the ending......fantastic!
10/10 5 stars

A very unusual psychological thriller. Heart breaking.and tragic.
A mother's love and two different mothers and how that love is interpreted.

Nuala Ellwood is a very talented writer, she has great style and offers insightful descriptions. Whilst I enjoyed reading The Day of the Accident, I felt that the way the story developed towards the end left me feeling like I had been led up the garden path. Throwing in facts at the end of a book to support the beginning, annoys me. Yes, Maggie describes a bad moment in her life but we aren’t really given any clues as to what this could be until the end. Additionally the letters aren’t really age appropriate either. It is very doubtful that Elspeth would have been able to open the doors of the car even if they were unlocked either, as the pressure of the water would have prevented it. Far better to open a window or for her mother to smash one with a stone.

Wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book, but boy did I once I got into it.good storyline believable characters altogether jolly good story

Author: Nuala Ellwood
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Release Date: 21 February 2019

Imagine you lost everything. Then, imagine you don't remember how, why or how to make it right again.

Nuala Ellwood may be a familiar name to readers, as one of the Observer's New Faces of Fiction 2017. She found success with her debut novel My Sister's Bones, and now she's back with another hard hitting novel, this time focused on love, loss and the sheer terror of waking up to the unknown. So how does The Day of the Accident fare in the world of literature, and should you be anticipating the release of the novel with bated breath?

The Day of the Accident focuses on the new life of Maggie Allen, as she wakes from a coma to find that her daughter is dead and her husband has mysteriously vanished. Told she is the sole survivor of a car accident in which her car rolled into a river, with her 10 year old daughter locked inside, Maggie's world crumbles around her before she's even able to stand by herself again. With nothing left to lose and a hunch in her gut that tells her there's more at play than everyone seems to think, The Day of the Accident follows Maggie's hellbent mission to find the truth, no matter the cost.

The novel is actually somewhat slow to start, but this isn't to it's detriment. Ellwood builds the scene around Maggie in a clever and poignant way, revealing only enough to be relevant at the moment being captured, and utilising Maggie's memory loss as a way to keep the reader in the dark throughout the whole novel. In the first chapters, while Maggie learns of her plight and tries hard to accept her situation, there's very little that actually happens. The story instead focuses on Maggie's mental state, her refusal to understand and grieve over what happened to her daughter and her sheer confusion as to her husband's mysterious disappearance. As new secrets emerge, Maggie's character develops both in physical strength and in mental disarray and her story begins to unfold like a paper napkin manipulated into a swan.

Ellwood navigates the emotions of grief and disbelief in a tactical way, so that even a reader who hasn't experienced loss in such a way will find themselves choked up and longing for a plot twist to tell them that Maggie's daughter is in fact safe and well. She manages to capture a reader's heart through her descriptions of Maggie and her plight, creating a perfect damsel in distress that so desperately wants to be the heroine of her own story. 
She also touches on the challenges of mental health in today's world, not only through Maggie's childhood struggles but also through those around her, and their individual reactions to it. The novel doesn't present a world rocked with fear because of someone struggling, but similarly it doesn't present a cosy acceptance of those that are 'different', either. It's almost harrowing that the level of indifference to Maggie from certain characters in fact represents reality, but this simply builds the novel up into the real world, making the whole scenario ever more scary.
The Day of the Accident isn't entirely perfect, of course; if it were, Ellwood would be one of very few novelists to achieve such a feat. There are moments, even chapters in the early stages of the novel, that feel drawn out and unnecessary. There are moments where the reader may find themselves feeling so depressed by Maggie's circumstances that they cannot stomach to read onwards for some time, and there are moments where the reader may question motivations of certain supporting characters. However, sticking with The Day of the Accident is not only rewarding for all of the right reasons, it's rewarding in it's shock factor when Ellwood's devious plot twist hits you. There are times where a reader might think they've got everything worked out and that they've guessed each crazy turn, but I can assure you, there's at least one of Ellwood's crafty surprises that'll catch you out.

Overall, the novel is a perfect representation of love, loss, fear and fight. Rather than following a specific whodunnit format, Ellwood follows a similar line to The Girl on the Train, using flashbacks, memory loss and guilt to motivate the characters that bow to her will. Keeping the mystery genre strong, The Day of the Accident is a must read for crime and thriller fans alike, and is sure to offer up a unique take on both genres.

Rating: 8/10
Read if you loved The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins, 2015), Into the Water (Paula Hawkins, 2017), A Place Called Here (Cecelia Ahern, 2006).
Recommended for fans of mystery and anyone looking to go on a spiritual journey through Maggie Allen's eyes.
Look out for the release date for The Day of the Accident on 21 February 2019.

This book kept you guessing. The flashing between two characters all came together at the end. Definitely enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

What is it about?

Maggie wakes up in hospital after an accident she doesn’t remember, only to be told her daughter, Elspeth had drowned in the car. Her husband, Sean has disappeared and the home she thought they owned turned out to be rented and so she is homeless. Maggie is convinced her daughter is still alive and receives a letter written by her. She comes close to a breakdown and is helped by GP Julia, a care worker, Sonia....until a brilliant finale.....

What did I like?

Nuala Elwood, the author, has created truly believable characters and the confusion and distress Maggie is suffering feels so real it takes your breath away. Great story telling.


What didn’t I like?

I felt Barbara didn’t really have much of a mention and her story could have been a bit more detailed.

Would I recommend?

Definitely, this is a great read with real characters that you have sympathy for in a tragic tale of interconnected lives.


What made this different

Deals with difficult topics of mental health issues, a child’s death, secrets and lies with characters you end up caring about.

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

The novel begins in court where Maggie is on trial for manslaughter, after which we find Maggie, five weeks earlier, in a hospital bed. On waking up from a coma, having nearly died trying to rescue her young daughter Elspeth from drowning in a locked car, Maggie learns that she was unsuccessful in her attempt. Not only has her daughter died but her husband, Sean, has also abandoned her, leaving her penniless and homeless. Understandably Maggie is distraught but, as she recovers physically, she is determined to find out what really happened on the day her daughter died.
This novel moves between the past and the present by means of Maggie’s flashbacks, some of the characters involved, and the epistolary links in which a young girl, seemingly abandoned to a brutal institution, writes despairingly to her mother, signing herself ‘your lovely daughter’. Obviously to highlight who this girl is in a book review would be a ‘spoiler’ and as it is not clear immediately who she is, Ellwood creates some tension through these letters. However, they do not convince in stylistic or emotional terms, reading more as a narrative thread to inform the reader why the girl is suffering rather than as a genuine call for help.
The reader is enticed to continue because of the manslaughter ‘hook’ that opens the novel. We wonder why this vulnerable victim could possibly be in that position five weeks on. As she takes us through the post-hospital timescale, Ellwood is very good at writing about the loneliness of B & B accommodation, the overworked social services, the individuals who want to care but who are rushed off their feet. She is less convincing when writing as her malevolent, angry characters. They appear flat, even though written about in detail. One obvious example is of Sean’s confessional written in the ICU notes – really?
It is apparent that the author is capable of describing place and people very effectively at times in ‘The Day of the Accident’. However, the ways in which the plot is revealed to the reader and the unconvincing motives of some of the characters mean that this psychological novel was not the enjoyable puzzle I was hoping for. Despite being chosen as one of the Observer’s ‘New Faces of Fiction 2017’, I’m not inclined to read Nuala Ellwood’s other novel on the strength of this one.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I've never read this author before but something in the description made me want to read it. From the minute I picked the book up to the minute I finished it, it kept me intrigued all the way through. When Maggie did what she did, it what all parents would do. I did get emotional at one point cos the friendship between Maggie and Sonia become strong