After reading the synopsis for this book, I was very excited to read it. I thought it was an interesting story line that I couldn't wait to follow. Unfortunately, this book did not meet my expectations. It is about three girls who went to boarding school together years ago and made a promise to keep something secret. They cannot tell anyone about it. The book jumps back and forth between now and then and also between different characters. The secret that they were hiding was something that I did guess was what happened, which was disappointing. I like to be completely surprised at something I would never think about. Other parts of the story were not as easy to predict but were also not that far fetched. It was also edited a bit differently. There are quotes where people are speaking and it will be in the middle of a paragraph with thoughts and actions along with it. They also only used apostrophes instead of the normal quotations signaling a person is speaking. The reason why I gave it a two star review was because I found myself not wanting to read this book. It took me much longer than normal to read it. There was nothing really pulling to read this book in every spare second I had.

The story started off slow but built the characters in a way that drew me in. The story is one that has been done more times than not and I honestly thought I knew what had happened and what will happen. I did not.

These three girls are the best of friends until something happens to one of them that causes a rip in their bond.

They make a promise to keep it all in.

When secrets can be brought to the surface however the two girls have to hire a PI to find the third. When they do finally find her she seems to not want to reconnect with her teenage friends.

Without a choice the three women lives are being threatened as the story is building to a slow paced conclusion that is both exciting and heartbreaking for the reader.

This is my first read by Teresa Driscoll, with thanks to Netgalley.

Three school girls have a secret they are determined to hide and never talk about. You are anxiously awaiting the secret, the twists and turns, hoping to be shook....but it kind of just misses the mark. I felt like I tracked through a slow paced book, bogged down with too many details, only to reach the end to exhausted to really care. This maybe the wrong book at the wrong time for me.

I was initially engaged by this book, I liked the plot - three schoolgirls sharing a deep secret which was threatened with exposure. I liked the background at the convent school. However, as the story developed there were just too many elements thrown in. When the 'secret' was revealed it was a whimper rather than a bang. I found it difficult to see this as a credible basis for the plot. There was too much angst and the three women suffered too many issues - it is difficult to comment here without revealing some of the plot. In the end I was disappointed, for me it was not a thriller but much more a book about three women who share a history, In summary, for me it just did not live up to its promise.

I enjoyed Teresa Driscoll's I am watching you, so I was excited to read The Promise. The story is about 3 friends from boarding school, Beth, Sally and Carol, and the horrible secret they promised not to ever talk about. I felt that the "secret" was a little too easy to guess and took quite a while to get to. And the addition of the private detective, Matthew, seems more of a necessary distraction, while Beth's husband and children are never really developed as characters. However, there were bigger secrets revealed as twists toward the end, when we find out who has been terrorizing Beth, and more about what happened to Carol all those years ago, and what is happening to her now. While I was annoyed that grown women would feel so traumatized about keeping the "secret", I do love Driscoll's writing style and The Promise is worth a read!

Great story; really enjoyable! Well character development; good storyline. Loved the twists and turns. Keep me guessing & wanting more. Definitely recommend to others!!

"The Promise" is a gripping story about the lengths that people will go to to keep a dreadful secret. It's full of surprises and is an entertaining read.

This is the first novel I have read by Teresa Driscoll although I will be seeking out more from her as this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The story revolves around three friends, Beth, Sally and Carol, who went to a Catholic Boarding School together. The story is told mainly from the viewpoint of Beth and it becomes clear that the three are hiding something dramatic from that time and promised never to tell anyone.

Then there is an announcement that the school has been sold, will be demolished and the grounds will be dug up. Their secret could be found. Beth and Sally are still in contact and are leading very different lives. Beth is married to Adam, with two children and feels her whole world could be torn apart if the secret is revealed. Sally is divorced after a miscarriage and has lost her way. The two decide to try and find Carol.

Despite all their efforts they resort to hiring a private detective, Matthew, to help find Carol. The history begins to unfold and all is not what it seems as we see where Carol is and what is happening.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Teresa Driscoll for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Intriguing read, recommended.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise sounded good and I enjoyed it. I had a hard time getting started though. The beginning was very slow for me but I kept at it. And I’m glad I did. It was a good story. But I really didn’t find it to be a psychological thriller. It was more sad than anything.

Still a good book though and I would recommend for a quick read.

A tricky thriller with lots of twists and turns.Three best friends from boarding school who have a big secret,now leading separate lives brought together by the news the school is being closed. New secrets and a surprising ending.

This was a good solid read. I was expecting something a little different but was still pleasantly surprised. I loved the setting of the English boarding school and the relationship between the girls. I also enjoy a good author’s note at the end of the story that let’s you into their mind at what they were thinking when the wrote the book and what inspired the story. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This fun read was a story about 3 friends who attended boarding school together when they were younger. As grown adults now, the 3 friends kept a dark secret that kept two of them close but pushed the third friend away. Through a series of flashbacks, we slowly find out what happened years prior and how its come to affect their lives now. Keeping a promise to each other over 20 years ago proves to be harder and harder and it slowly becomes a mystery to the reader.

I enjoyed reading this book and the flashbacks kept me wanting to find out more and more. It seemed like every page I turned, there was a new piece to the mystery that added to the suspense. The ending was a nice little twist but not as dark and as shocking as I expected.

Overall, it's a nice and easy read. I would recommend this book as a fun, enjoyable read.

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When a deep secret, existing between three former classmates, threatens to be revealed, a dark tale begins to unfold.

This slow-burn, noir thriller is sure to please. With unbelievable tension, Driscoll has woven a tale that will stick with you.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy delving into the innocent and ask "What if" questions.

Thirty years ago three schoolgirls, who are best friends, were attending a boarding school at a convent. They make a promise to take the terrible truth of the secret they share to their graves. Beth and Sally have stayed friends but Carol moves away and they haven’t had any contact with her for years. They receive an invitation to a reunion at the convent as it is going to be demolished. Beth and Sally need to find Carol before their secret is discovered. Is the promise they made years ago about to be broken? Beth decides to hire a private investigator Matthew, to help her and Sally find Carol but this task proves difficult and dangerous.
The book is told between Then and Now and told from the points of view of Beth, Matthew and Carol but it’s not until the very end of the book that the truth is revealed. This book is a slow burner but once I was gripped I couldn’t put it down. A highly recommended read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I wanted to like this book but I could not, I felt that the three main characters were okay but unlikeable I felt that some of their actions were ridiculous. The ending was better; however the build up was too slow and I felt like it was a slog getting through the main body of the text. The use of dual narrative was good and the book is well written I just felt that the plot and big reveal were not as thrilling as the blurb suggests.

Three friends at school, Beth, Sally and Carol. Something goes terribly wrong and the relationship with Carol breaks down. Now the secrets of their youth start to surface.
Lots of twists and turns, shocks and surprises. No car chases and guns., but plenty of suspense. The book captures the powerlessness of young people and the importance of accurate interpretation of events.
What if you were looking at things the wrong way?
I enjoyed this book, (read free on NetGalley in exchange for an accurate review) and recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers.

I’m between 3 and 4 stars on this one- the last part of the book was fantastic and full of dark, disturbing revelations, but it just took a little too long to get there for me. Despite the slow burn, I did really enjoy this book overall and will definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

I thought it was ok because it was slow moving in the beginning. Three (14) year old girls at a Catholic boarding school have a secret that effects the three of them and have vowed to promise to keep it a secret. Two of the ladies have kept in touch over the years as they are now turning 40, but one girlfriend from the past is constantly on the move with her rich husband avoiding them. The boarding school is about to be demolished, which sets the girls in a panic and threatens their secret. Sally and Beth are now frantic to find Carol to figure out what they should do about the promise. Towards the end and the epilogue, the book got really exciting when a number of secrets where revealed that know one would have thought possible.

This was a solid three star book. I would have given it four stars but the first half of the book's pacing felt slow to me. The second half moved quickly and could be read in one sitting. Some parts were a bit predictable but the ending had twists and turns I didn't expect which is always a nice surprise.

This was my second book by this author and I found the one character to be very similar to one in her previous book. When looking back I found it was the same character , just part of a different story. Nice! Well done. Gave me a little background to that character's story.
This story was about a friendship made back in boarding school and a secret shared between three girls. These girls, now women, held the secret close to their hearts. But now, it will be forced to be exposed.
I was a bit disappointed in the final secret, but I did think back on the perspective of a teenager which made me realize that it was a big secret for them. Personally I would have divulged the secret as I grew up at the very least to my husband. So that was a slight hiccup for me , downsizing the book to 4 rather than 5 stars. Otherwise, the unravelling of the story had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The book kept my attention from the start and didn't get bogged down with too many details, trying to throw the reader off track. Well written with good character development. I would recommend this book to lovers of mystery and thrillers. Another winner for Teresa Driscoll.