Having taken three years to cope with the loss of her son, Ethan Monaghan, Zoe‘s world is turned upside down yet again, due to this one email: "You need to find out the truth about what happened to your son down by the river three years ago. Don’t let this rest. Don’t believe the lie. It was no accident."

Needless to say, Zoe becomes quite desperate and is determined to find out who sent it. Ethan and his friend Josh were 14 years old when they tragically died. Other things she wonders: Why three years later? It was an accident, wasn't it? After several more emails come her way, she realizes that someone is deliberately targeting her. After all, her son died along with his best friend Josh, yet Josh's mother has never gotten one single email.

Zoe asks a lot of questions. She repeatedly questions Josh's mother, as well as some of their friends. Meanwhile, many complicated situations come to light. There are things about Josh's parents that truly disturb Zoe. Then her relationship between her husband and her other son Harley come into play.

This story is mainly told from Zoe's first-person perspective, so much so that I was truly absorbed. I felt her pain on many levels. Her roles as a mother and a wife were truly very touching. Other chapters also include other viewpoints. The story is also peppered with the creepy thoughts of an untold individual. Who this person is and how they are connected with the death of the two boys remained ever present in my mind.

Then there were several twists and turns. They mostly came in the form of the continued emails. So very chilling. There is also a shocking change of events that might be just enough to destroy Zoe forever. Quite naturally, I flew through the pages. As a reader, I was more than eager to know what really happened to those boys and what would happen to Zoe in her personal life. The other characters in the story, Jake, Harley, Roberta and Adrian, were equally compelling, even if there were ones that I did not like.

The story all came together. The Warning is truly an exceptional read. I was in no way able to guess who penned the notes. But, when I got to the end, boy was I shocked! Here you have a story that began as tragic, so we knew going in that there it was certainly very unlikely to have any sort of a happy ending, but the conclusion! Let's just say that it was worth the read, because Kathryn Croft took readers down what may seem like rabbit trails only to present us with more than one surprising finality. Well done. I highly recommend this book to any lover of psychological thrillers.

I checked Goodreads and was delighted to see that Ms. Croft has written several other books, which seem like they are also psychological thrillers, which, by far, is my favorite genre. I will most certainly be putting her backlist in my TBR and will be following her for future titles.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

A dynamic book and one where I really wanted more from. I love this author and I am very pleased with the book. The book though isn't my favourite of her work but I did find this great.

This was an exceptional, absolutely amazing book. As with all of this incredible author's books, this one too was addictive, fast paced, brilliantly plotted and incredibly page turning. I highly recommend this to everyone.

When Ethan and his best friend Josh are found drowned in the river when they are 14, it is deemed that it was a tragic accident, so when Zoe, Ethan's mum, receives an email 3 years later saying she needs to find out what happened that night and not believe the lie, she is determined to get to the bottom of it.  Events that night changed two families lives forever and things will never be the same again, Jake is convinced it's a prank but when Zoe then receives further messages she will not rest until she uncovers the truth, unfortunately nobody else seems to share her curiosity and do everything to try and stop her following it up. 

This book is told from each of the main characters perspectives; Zoe, Jake, Harley, Roberta and an unknown person and this is the one that provides the intrigue, keeping the reader guessing right till the end with odd little twists thrown in along the way to confuse things.  I have to admit that I was completely clueless throughout the book as to who was behind the messages and that final twist was genius, I would never have guessed that.  Another great read from this fabulous author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the auto-approval.  I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Well now... that is how you write a psychological thriller!

This was a dark, twisted, compelling, unsettling, unputdownable book... filled with so many twists, turns and misdirections that my head is still spinning....

Zoe and Jake’s youngest son Ethan, died in an unfortunate drowning accident over three years ago.... they fled the town they were living in with their older son Harley for a fresh start... the family was Learning to live their lives after tragedy,until... Zoe began, receiving anonymous emails and text stating that Ethan’s death was not an accident,and for her not to let this go! So like all good mothers Zoe is determined to find out the truth behind her son’s death... but why is she met by so much resistance from her husband Jake? And equally concerning why is Roberta the mother of Josh, the boy who died along Ethan’s side, not interested in finding the truth? What secrets are being kept? And why? And by whom? These are just a few of the questions you will have running through your head throughout this book.... and if you figure this one out, major props to you! This one caught me completely offguard, that is for sure!
Told in short chapters from many points of view this book will keep you on your toes and engaged throughout... we also get an anonymous point of view from a creepy character sure to make you uncomfortable... this really was a fast paced page turner full of well drawn characters... whether or not you like them, Zoe and Harley, or liked to hate them, Roberta and Adrian.... all these characters were so well-developed you truly had a good sense of who they were and where they were coming from....

This is my first book from this author, but most definitely will not be my last! A thrilling read that I finished in two sittings that I would highly recommend to all fans of the psychological thriller genre.... this one will make you think!

*** A big thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

A good story with a bit of a half guessed twist. Lots of underlying backstories made it a bit complicated for me but the overall compulsion of a mother wanting to find out the truth about her son’s death was what made me want to keep going and I really did care about her. As in all good mysteries the truth is revealed with a final shocking twist.

The Warning by Kathryn Croft is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:
Zoe and Jake’s marriage has been shaky since the accidental drowning death of their 14-year old son Ethan and his friend Josh. Even their older son Harley has taken it hard. It’s been three years, and although they moved and are trying to start fresh, Ethan’s death hangs over them. When Zoe gets a text message that suggests Ethan’s death may not have been accidental, the whole event comes crashing back. Zoe will not let this go, and she is determined to find answers, especially when more texts arrive. Jake doesn’t believe the texts, and is sure that they are just a sick prank. Even the police don’t seem interested.

Zoe shows the text to Josh’s mom Roberta, but Roberta hasn’t received any texts, and she and her husband Adrian just want Zoe to leave them alone. Is it because they have moved on? Or do they know something about Ethan and Josh that could help Zoe?

As Zoe continues to question friends and family, she finds that her closest friend, and even her husband has been hiding something. She is about to find out that everyone has secrets, and those secrets are going to put someone’s life in danger.


My Opinions:
Kathryn Croft amazes me. I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read so far, and I know I’ve missed a couple that I’m going to have catch up on.

This author brings it all to the table. Her plots are fascinating, her characters deep, and her twists always a surprise. This book threw in a lot of red herrings, and a lot of side stories, all of which added to the overall suspense and mystery of the tale. Croft’s writing is crisp, clear, and straightforward. Even though she told the story from many points of view, including a mystery narrator, nothing got confused. That last twist had me shocked, and it takes a lot to do that. It was great!

Again, can’t recommend this book enough. Be warned, it is hard to put down!

Twisted and deceptive—that is how I describe Kathryn Croft characters. And I don’t just mean the villain. Kathryn Croft writes about people and her novels are character-driven above all else. How do ordinary people react to extraordinary circumstances? When does grief cross into deception? And how do we know who is lying to us? This book had my mind spinning the whole way through, and then when I got to the reveal I could hardly believe that I’d missed it!!! Masterful!

About the Book

Three years after the tragic death of her 14-year old son Ethan, Zoe is still grieving. Her family has never really healed from the tragic accident. Her husband Jake is distant, throwing himself into his work. Her older son Harley had an emotional breakdown that he barely recovered from. And Zoe finds herself unable to move on. They go through the motions every day, pretending to be a happy family. But inside their home, they are shattered.

And then one day Zoe receives an email…

You need to find out the truth about what happened to your son down by the river three years ago. Don’t let this rest. Don’t believe the Lie. It was no accident.

Despite Jake’s insistence that it is a prank, and tracking the sender down will only bring them more pain, Zoe can’t accept that. She starts to follow the clues about the deaths of Ethan and his friend Josh that night. The more information Zoe finds, the more she realizes that there’s a lot she didn’t know about that night.
Why is Jake so insistent that she drop this? What is going on in Harley’s mind that he keeps so private? And why will Josh’s mother not speak about this with Zoe? Secrets come to light and Zoe realizes she has been lied to, perhaps by those she holds dearest…

Reflection

It’s no secret that Kathryn Croft is a favorite author of mine. Her books tend to feature characters in a difficult life situation, which Croft then twists until secrets, lies, and deception are revealed. As a reader, I find her books masterful. The answers are there, if only we see them. But we never do! Croft manipulates us into a false sense of understanding about the story, and then flips it on us. Her books are among the top psychological thrillers I’ve read!

This poor family in this book!!! There’s an authenticity to the way they’ve shattered after tragedy struck. From the outside, they seem to be coping. But each of them has demons. Each of them is barely holding it together, which means as a unit they aren’t holding together. They’ve settled into a routine of going through the motions. Accepting the lies in order to feel whole again. For instance, Zoe allows herself to believe that Jake works so much because he cares about his business. But the truth is, Jake is not okay since Ethan’s death. Jake can’t bare the hours when his mind is unoccupied.

The writing structure is so effective. The chapters are fairly short, and change narrators. It totally hooked me! It was important to see what each of them was experiencing and piecing together. And then there is a mysterious narrator of some chapters. Twisted and unsettling is the only way to describe this narrator. Those chapter positively gave me the chills! I couldn’t work it out—I was stumped!

And then we get to the reveal and I was blown away! How did I never consider THAT twist??? Masterful and twisty—I can’t wait for more readers to experience this book!

When people ask for recs for psychological thrillers, quoting that they liked 'Gone Girl' or the like, I always turn their heads towards Kathryn Croft (pretty much all of them are on this blog if you want to do a quick search-apologies internet is not good enough today to reference them all!). To me her books are excellent examples of edge of your seat stuff, with leads you're gunning for, and a race to a finish that generally surprises. 

So we join a number of characters, most notably Zoe, who has been trundling through the days with her husband, Jake, and son. I warmed to each of the characters straight away, really feeling for them as they tried not to let the death of the character of the house ruin them. Added to the tragic circumstances of Ethan's death were two things: first that they didn't know he was out of the house that night,  and second, that his friend drowned too. Enter his friend's mother, a woman who's living with a secret but who is first and foremost, the mother of the teenager killed that night at the river. I felt for her throughout, wanting her to find some sort of life in an  existence where she had to put up with a despicable husband who she no longer loved, and who very obviously had no warmth for her. 

So the two come face to face again when Zoe begins to get messages telling her that her son's death was no accident. At the start we are trying to figure out if these messages are meant as a help or if they serve as warnings to her and her family, and we soon find out! This book is about the hunt to find out what happened that night, why it happened and who was involved and it most definitely kept me reading.

I had a fair few niggles, which was disappointing, the end of so many chapters were cliffhangers and there were so many characters' viewpoints that it took away the shock factor after a while as you had to be put back to the surprise after a few chapters of different people talking. I'm afraid I did a lot of page flipping to remember who the smaller (and sometimes very important) characters were (yes this is ironic the post after another post where I said I am always ready for books with multiple povs!). Saying that I never wanted to put the book down and looked forward to finding out who the menacing character who told their own story was and I was lead up down and back around the garden path a number of times and couldn't leave it down. Do make sure to check out all of her books though, you honestly will not be disappointed (I recommend starting with The Girl With No Past- review here and moving on from there!). Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Three years ago, Zoe’s fourteen year old son Ethan and his best friend Josh were found drowned in a river. It was ruled an unfortunate accident. Now, Zoe and her family have moved away and are trying to move on from the dramatic loss. But then Zoe receives an email. Was Ethan’s death not an accident after all? What really happened that night? And who is behind these messages?

Well, who indeed. I thought I knew and held on to that belief throughout the story, even when at some point my theory failed to make sense even to me. Kathryn Croft has created an immensely dark and twisted story here and if you manage to figure it out, there’s a whole box of cookies waiting for you right here!

Obviously, the truth about what happened to Ethan is what kept me hooked. But more than that, I felt the author did an incredible job bringing these characters and their struggles to life. Zoe, her husband and her remaining son all have very different ways of dealing with the loss of Ethan and the never-ending grief. The changing family dynamics fascinated me and there are a multitude of lies and secrets to discover.

Kathryn Croft manages to combine a few uncomfortable topics into a twisty psychological thriller. Zoe is stunned to find that Josh’s mother Roberta seems quite reluctant to help her in finding out the truth. After all, she lost her son as well. But there is more than meets the eye and as always, the reader soon finds out that you just never know what goes on behind closed doors.

The Warning is a well-paced tale of love, grief, loss and a mother’s desperate search for the truth with realistic and believable characters. I couldn’t at all predict the outcome. Full of suspense, this psychological thriller will keep you gripped from start to finish.

Absorbing and fast-paced psychological thriller with a conclusion you won't see coming.

Three years ago, Jake and Zoe Monaghan get the worst news that parents can ever hear -- their 14-year-old son, Ethan, and his best friend Josh drowned in the river near their home. Even though their deaths were ruled as accidental, the lives of the Monaghan's and that of their surviving older son, Harley, have not gone so well though they've been working at trying to be a family again. Their fragile peace is shattered when Zoe receives an email and subsequent text messages that hint that they did not know the truth about what happened to their son and his friend. Who is tormenting them -- Zoe can't be stopped from trying to find out and she may lose everything else in the process of finding out the real story.

With great characters and narrated from the point of view of several of them, this thriller takes off at a speedy clip and left me racing through to get to the answers I wanted as much as did Zoe! The author juggles a large cast of characters and a complex plot but it all comes together in a satisfying conclusion. Sort of left my head reeling with all the details and information about relationships, secrets, lies, obsession and revenge. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'll definitely want to read more books by this author.

What a fantastic psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing til the very last page.

It was three years ago that 2 best friends, Josh and Ethan, were found drowned in a river. Their families are still recovering after their losses and their lives have changed forever. It was all just a tragic accident, or was it ? One day Zoe, Ethan’s Mum, receives a message telling her that her son’s death wasn’t an accident. Is this person telling the truth ? Or are they just trying to upset Zoe ?

After reporting the message to the police, Zoe is upset that they are not taking it seriously so she decides to investigate herself.

This is a great psychological thriller with some fantastic characters. A heart wrenching story of the loss of two young boys and the effects this has on families and friends. I will definitely be reading more of Kathryn’s books in the future.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

The Warning is Kathryn Croft's seventh psychological thriller, and, just like all of the rest, it's a real page-turner! It follows nurse Zoe who's has been devastated by the death of son Ethan in the local river along with his best friend Josh. Three years later she receives a terrifying message stating that the boys' drowning was not an accident. Thrown once again into turmoil, she resolves to find out the truth about her son's death even if it means grieving all over again.

This book has everything: a compelling storyline, a cast of intriguing characters and a relentless pace, add to that an addictive quality and you've got a right rollicking good read! There are twisty surprises aplenty and especially at the back end of the book, they became pretty jaw-dropping in nature. The tale is told in quite a unique way - each chapter is devoted to a particular character and tells of what happened from their perspective. Emotive, well written and a thoroughly fantastic book, you'd be mad not to opt for this one!

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This is a real page turner as I was desparate to know what happened to Zoe’s son, Ethan.
Zoe and Jake are still grieving after the death of their son three years ago, when Zoe receives an anonymous email saying his death was not an accident.
She tries to investigate but comes up against a brick wall and her husband and the Police don’t want to know.
She then starts to receive text messages saying more of the same and so she gets more and more worried. When Ethan died his friend Josh also drowned so she goes to see his mum to see if she knows anything.
Josh’s mum Roberta has some secrets of her own so whilst Zoe knows she’s hiding something, she hasn’t a clue what it is.
This is a gripping mystery thriller and I raced through the book, keen to know what really happened.
A great read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Loved this book!! I never saw that coming. The ending is not what I expected at all. This book kept me guessing until the very end. This was the first book I read by Kathryn Croft and I can't wait to read more.

Zoe's son Ethan and his best friend, Josh, drowned in a river when they were fourteen years old. It was ruled an accident. Three years later, Zoe receives disturbing emails related to Ethan's death. Her husband and best friend are convinced it's just a prank and she should let it go. Zoe knows there's more to the emails and starts doing some investigating on her own. Then Zoe's son Harley goes missing and she knows it's related to Ethan's death. Eventually secrets are revealed, along with the truth behind Ethan's death and Harley's disappearance.

Loved the story, writing style and characters. The book was an overall great read and a perfect psychological thriller. The story moved at a good pace and the characters seemed real-life, not too over the top. Some of the characters were definitely creepy and horrible. Loved Zoe, she was definitely my favorite. I felt her reactions to the emails were normal. Jake on the other hand, wasn't really there for his wife or son. Throughout the whole book, I couldn't imagine who was behind everything and who the person was pretending to be Alyssa. I was wondering how "Alyssa" fit into the story and what part she would play. Adrian and Roberta were on my list of suspects with their big secret.

Definitely recommend the book. Full of twists and turns. Loved the ending and finally finding out the truth. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, Kathryn Croft, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kathryn Croft for the opportunity to read her latest thriller - 5 stars! I couldn't put it down and had no clue how it was going to all turn out!

Zoe and her husband, Jake, have survived the unthinkable - the loss of their teenage son, Ethan, and his friend, Josh, in a drowning accident. While their marriage is still a bit shaky and Jake's relationship with their older son, Harley, is not the best, they moved to a new town and are moving forward with their lives. Until Zoe receives an email stating that her son's death may not have been an accident. Zoe then becomes obsessed with looking into Ethan's death above what Jake is comfortable with and the police are doing in their investigation.

Enough said - this is a wild ride and I could not put down this book. It went places I never would have dreamed and you'll never be able to figure out all the twists! Highly recommended - another winner by Kathryn Croft!

This is a really good read. The grief from losing a child is unimaginable. Ethan and Josh died in a tragic accident 3 years ago. Now Ethan's mum is getting messages telling her that it was not an accident. This is a really cleverly written book. There are a lot of twists and turns to the plot and the ending was a total shock. There are a lot of really good characters and a lot packed into this book. Kathryn Croft really does know how to write a really good thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

"You need to find out the truth about what happened to your son down by the river three years ago. Don't let this rest. Don't believe the lie. It was no accident."
So reads the email Zoe receives from an anonymous sender, three years after her 14yo son Ethan had drowned alongside his friend Josh in a tragic accident. It sets her off on a hunt for the truth, even though her husband Jake insists it's a prank. It soon becomes apparent that all is not as it seems, many people are hiding secrets about that night. People with a lot to lose. As Zoe slowly works her way towards the truth she sets into motion events that could shatter her world even more than it already is.
Wow! This is definitely one of the better psychological thrillers that I've read this year, and I read a lot of them! I can usually work out part of the twist, if not all, but this one I couldn't fathom at all. It had me absolutely stumped! And the truth? It had me saying "what the ?" It was totally from left field! Well done Kathryn Croft, I will definitely be on the lookout for more of this author books. Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2/5

(if anyone knows how to set a spoiler view do let me know since I'm trying to keep this vague)

Short review:
I can appreciate the plot, but it didn't work for me. Too many characters (and all of them were liars with almost no purposes other than giving tensions to the plot. Additional twist was nice, but that's just it.

Zoe and Jake lost their second son, Ethan, three years ago due to the drowning accident. Along with Ethan, the accident also claimed Josh, Ethan's best friend and son of Roberta and Adrian. In the present time, Zoe receives a text message saying that what happened to Ethan and Josh wasn't accident. Determined to get the bottom of the mess, Zoe began her own investigation and not everyone was on board with it.

What I like about The Warning:
- The twist, I guess.
- Zoe, as a person.
- how the characters handle what can be said as a sexual abuse (no victim blaming)

What I don't like about The Warning:
- too many characters, not enough space to fleshed them out
- some were described as very saintly, and now as I'm typing it, I don't get any personality from Zoe except that she is a mother and she wants to know what happened three years ago idk
- the conversations were very text book-y at times
- the setting has the kind of utopia-ness where everything turned out OK and (almost) every mistake is forgiven without repercussion
- several useless side plots (I don't care about Roberta-Adrian and Lewis and Melissa), I think it's better if Kathryn sticks to Zoe's family

I know some people would like and rate it better than I do, but this is how I feel.
It wasn't that bad. It was OK.

"My little boy’s room was empty, his bed neatly made. Alarm bells should have rung immediately. Then the knock on the door came. All I remember is a thick fog wrapping itself tightly around me. This couldn’t be happening to us."

With so many twists, I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I loved that the story was being told in different points of view, which included an anonymous stalker. The Warning
by Kathryn Croft is an absolute must read! A solid five star novel that many readers of suspense will enjoy.

#TheWarning #NetGalley
Pub Date: 12 Oct 2018