Beth, Sally, and Carol became quick friends at twelve when they started boarding school. But after a tragedy happens at school and they agree to cover it up and never speak of it again, their friendship changes. Now, in adulthood, Beth and Sally, who have remained friends decide to find the estranged Carol after discovering their old school will be torn down and the potential of their long buried secret being discovered. As they look for Carol, they find more than they were expecting.

I thought this was a strong story with likeable characters and a good amount of mystery. There were a few surprise twists, and although I suspected one or two, some were a surprise. I wouldn't call this a page turner but has more of a slow burn. I didn't like this book as much as the author's previous I am Watching You, but it is still a decent thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

“The Promise” by Teresa Driscoll is a psychological thriller about three childhood friends; Beth, Sally and Carol, and their time growing up in boarding school. The book starts off with something bad happening – a room filled with blood and a promise made between the three friends to never tell anyone. Years later, Beth and Sally get notice that the boarding school is closing and hire Matthew, a private investigator, to find Carol who has been estranged for a few years. This leads to secrets coming out and trouble for Beth and her family. Can Beth keep the promise she made as a child?

The book is told from three perspectives, Beth, Matthew, and Carol. I like books told from multiple points of view so enjoyed that, but with finding Carol as such a major plot line I think we should have had more of her perspective throughout.

I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers, and I enjoyed this one. I went back and forth on my rating and finally decided on 3.5 stars. I thought the secret would come out to be something other than what it was so I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t figure it out. There were additional secrets that came out throughout the book as well giving it some plot twists and turns! There were some parts of the book that were slow moving and a little drawn out then the ending felt rushed. Overall though it was a good thriller, and I would recommend it. I look forward to reading other books by Teresa Driscoll.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beth, Sally and Carol met at a crumbling boarding school run by nuns. The story goes back and forwards from their meeting to the present day. Carol stops contact with Beth and Sally but there's to be a reunion as the boarding school has been bought and is being pulled down. Sally and Beth try to find Carol as their secret could be revealed.

Firstly I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this novel. Also thanks to NetGalley for facilitating. And a huge thank you to Teresa Driscoll for yet another unpredictable read!

So, as usual there will be no spoilers in this book review.

Having read Teresa Driscoll’s two previous thrillers, I was excited to find out where Matt and Mel were now! I got slightly confused when I first came across Matthew in this book as he wasn’t how I remembered him and then I realised that I’d been paying no attention to the date at the start of the chapter - this is set BEFORE the events of the previous two books! Though it is worth noting that each book works in its own right and you do not need to read all three to understand what is happening.

The synopsis had me really intrigued - as with the previous books it was all secrets and that worked so well for the other books that I was desperate to read this! It’s written in a similar style to the previous books in that each chapter is written from a different characters perspective (either before or after the “event” that the book is centred around). This works really well as each time you finish a chapter you are left wanting more information but you won’t get that for another couple of chapters as the perspective shifts again. It makes for really addictive read!

I really really loved this books. The storyline was completely immersive and gripping, it was funny, shocking, confusing, desperately sad... it was a real rollercoaster of emotion to read.

As always (With Teresa’s books) I really identified with the characters, they were all so individual and flawed and believable even though I had no idea which of them was trustworthy until the very end! Lol!

I did guess a few of the plot twists in advance but when rereading the sections where I initially guessed, I think it was intentional as there were lots of prods to the reader. Perhaps to give you this sense of foreboding and knowing that something else is coming to rock the boat.

I really hope that these books keep coming! I’d love to see more of Matthew and Mel (who was a bit lacking in this book!). 5 stars for an incredible read - yet again!!!

This is another cracking read from Teresa Driscoll. It was gripping from the start, plenty of twists to keep you hooked.
Look forward to the next one.

Exceptionally Deceptive!

Another of the slower pace mystery feel but it in no way takes away from the tautness. In fact I read the majority of the book in one day because I could no longer bring myself to put it down.

I decided in the prologue that I knew exactly what the book was going to be. I was right but there about a half dozen reveals that I never even saw coming. That was quite fun to find mysteries within the mystery.

I felt connected to the characters and scene descriptions. I never quite got into Driscoll's "The Friend" but I'm tempted to go and give it another try.

Sally, Beth and Carol became the best of friends while attending a boarding school run by nuns. These three girls hold a deep, dark secret. They make a promise they vow to keep forever. Later on in life, news comes that their former school and grounds is being sold and being transformed into student housing, Now someone is threatening that promise the girls made so long ago.. Will the truth come out or will these women do anything possible to keep their secret hidden forever?

This is labeled a psychological thriller, but I don't see it that way. It seems more of a memoir-style coming-of-age novel to me. When three friends make a really bad decision at only 14-years old, they must find a way to live with the memories and the consequences of that single action. To me, there is not enough eminent threat for it to be a thriller. I could see this as a Lifetime movie. It is well-written, has compelling characters, and life-impacting stories within the greater book context. It was a very sad but good read detailing what happens when we don't understand the implications of our actions. I don't think it delivers on the promises of the book description or I would have given it 5 stars.

Wow, this was a good one. Likeable characters who are not too good to be true and are interesting. Lots and lots of twists, some you really can't see coming! Highly recommend!

I can’t say I really enjoyed this, though I was compelled to find out what happened in the end, so it can’t have been too bad. Generally I felt the main characters were a bit insipid and there were too many unnecessary tragedies. I know quite a lot of people and almost none of them have suffered even one of the terrible afflictions that the cast of this novel seem to have had about six of, each!
They just didn’t feel real to me, especially Beth who apparently had children that I barely realised existed as they were only mentioned about three times, and generally for no reason at all.

I enjoyed this book. The twist wasn't exactly what I was suspecting but was quite close to it. It goes back and forth in time which I liked. It's keeps you guessing about what happened when they were friends. Great read.

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Teresa Driscoll has written an intriguing novel about three friends and the secret they have kept for three decades…The Promise, the title so fitting to this story, is about three young girls, Beth, Sally, and Carol, who met at a boarding school and became best friends and when the most innocent of events occur, their lives are changed forever and as a result, a promise that was made.

The Promise is not your typical psychological suspense thriller. This book takes its time to build each character, slowly developing the good, and the bad. I liked the way the author gave a voice to each of the characters, and I felt that I was easily able to relate to all three of these women in different ways. Ms. Driscoll perfectly conveyed the love and the friendship that these women shared, but at the same time, she also showed us the envy, jealousy, and tension that their secrets caused.

The story is told mostly by Beth, bouncing between the past and present day. And, intermittently, the author has the other characters telling their story too.
The story is not rushed but slowly entraps the reader into the lives of these three women and how the promise they made to each other has shaped their lives. There are some dark elements to the book, but I thought the author handled them well. So many secrets, twists, and turns kept me reading. I will say most of the of the build-up was in the first sixty percent and then in the last forty percent the story came together. I would have liked a little more depth to the ending.

The Promise is the first book that I have read by Teresa Driscoll. Overall I enjoyed this book and her writing style and would definitely consider reading more of her books.

***I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***

I really enjoyed this multi-layered, psychological drama about secrets and how they cause ripples through multiple lives, even the ones that weren’t involved in the origin of the secret. Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to read #thepromise ahead of publication.
Three girls from varying backgrounds attend a Catholic boarding school and become lifelong friends through the ups and downs of adolescence and young adulthood. When they go their separate ways after graduation an event that they all promised to keep secret forever begins to breakdown this friendship. Driscoll writes from each girls point of view in the present and in the past to slowly reveal the critical event but it is not until the very end of the book that the real secret is shared with all the characters and the reader to cap the impact of this story. I was transported back to my own adolescence through the feelings and emotions that were elicited while reading this excellent novel. Thank you, Teresa!

Three friends, Beth, Sally and Carol, make a promise to each other to keep a secret for the rest of their lives. The secret is something that happens, something that they have done, whilst at their Catholic boarding school. Thirty years later, Beth and Sally learn that the school is to be demolished, and become gripped by fear that their secret will be uncovered. In the intervening years, Carol has drifted away from them, and now they are desperate to get back in touch with her and work out what to do.

It’s quite difficult to write much more than this without introducing spoilers. The book is well written and well paced, but for me it fell a bit flat. The actual secret they have been keeping, when it is finally revealed, doesn’t quite seem to justify the extreme lengths all three go to throughout the book. I did enjoy the dynamic between the characters and the exploration of female friendship, but as thrillers go this didn’t quite work for me,

Teresa Driscoll brings us an interesting tale about three British girls being educated at boarding school, the Convent of St Colman, from middle school up. We visit with the girls in 2009 at the convent, and again in 2016 after they are grown, looking back at the joys and angst they confronted isolated at school, away from the steady influence of their parents.

Beth is now married with two sons, her husband Adam a kind caring man, a good provider, and her sons are well balanced and for the most part sweet. Beth works at a British Television studio, lining up contestants for a game/reality show, which allows her to work from home 3 or 4 days a week. She is beginning to find the work deadly boring, but cannot decide that she would rather be doing.

Sally was divorced shortly after the still-birth of her child, and finding herself unwilling or unable to consider another relationship. Now becoming redundant in her workplace, she rolls her savings into the purchase of four dilapidated thatched cottages on the very edge of town, her intention to repair and lease them.

Carol has a much more sophisticated life. Her partner Ned is an international realty broker, keeping them on the road in Europe most of the time. Carol has purposely lost touch, not only with the girls but also with her mother. She changes cell phones often and doesn't do any social media. They all occasionally hear from Ned, but not a word from Carol. Ned appears concerned about Carols health, she is much too thin and running on nerves as they await the decision on whether or not they will qualify to adopt a child.

There is a notification from the convent that the land has been sold and the convent will be torn down to be replaced by multiple storied student housing for the nearby Community College. Though the news is out there on social media as well as the notifications directly from the convent, Beth decided to hire a private detective to locate Carol for them. They should all be at the convent school for its final reunion. They have the old address of Carol's mother, but had discovered several years ago that she no longer lived there, and had posted no forwarding address.

Matthew is the son of a building contractor where he worked throughout his schooling, and is a former police detective, just starting to get established as a private detective. And he adores Sally at first sight. He is making headway in the location of Carol and Ned - has found Carol's mother through her Bingo habit. Will he find Carol in time? What has made her isolate herself from all who love her? What is the mystery of the Bluebells? Why does Beth feel it's imperative that they meet at the boarding school before it is torn down?

This was an interesting book, and the look into the world of boarding schools was intriguing. It isn't done much in the US, and I'm not sure how I feel about the concept of sleep-over schools. I would not have wanted it for myself or my children but I can see that it would be a viable option for the mobile world workers, who travel from hither to yon. I am pleased to have read this book based on Teresa Driscoll's experiences at boarding school.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel on February 2, 2019 from Netgalley, Teresa Driscoll, and Thomas and Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

I loved The Promise! Great writing, fast paced storyline and a few clever twists and turns, couldn't ask for more really! Will be looking out for more books by Teresa. 5/5

I am so glad I got to read The Promise.
It is a very intense, psychological thriller.
The twists keep coming.
The book is about 3 young’s girls in boarding school in England. Their journey is filled with curiosity, disappointment, drama but tempered with their deep friendship and love for each other.
I highly recommend it! I will be looking for the other novels by this author.
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This is a very good book! Secrets rarely seem to stay secrets. This book proves that and gives us a story that's a real page turner. It's gripping and intriguing. I give it 4.5 stars and I strongly recommend it!

It was their darkest secret. Three schoolgirls made a promise – to take the horrible truth of what they did to the grave.

Thirty years later, Beth and Sally have tried to put the trauma behind them. Though Carol has distanced herself from her former friends, the three are adamant that the truth must never come to light, even if the memory still haunts them.

But when some shocking news threatens to unearth their dark secret, Beth enlists the help of private investigator Matthew Hill to help her and Sally reconnect with estranged Carol ­– before the terrible act they committed as teenagers is revealed.

Although Teresa Driscoll has two previously published number 1 bestsellers I have read neither and so she was a new author to me when I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. It’s always great to find a new psychological thriller writer and I wasn’t disappointed at all with her style, What makes a great psychological thriller writer? Well, two main things in my opinion…

Firstly you need to be able to relate or feel the characters. Driscoll characterises so well that I felt like I knew them all personally. Their strengths, secrets and weaknesses were carefully constructed to paint a picture of three women and a lifetime of hiding the truth.

But the other key ingredient is the secret… The shocking twist, turn, revelation and the bits that lead you up to it. This book was lacking in actually it was beyond 60% when things started to happen. I felt like Driscoll had to throw a couple of curveballs in just to get the book heightened up and they sort of fell flat. Psychological thrillers are not generally slow burners but this one was.

The ending brought everything together neatly – and that was the saving grace for this book. The craziness of everything is revealed and the ends are tied together. Unfortunately the journey to get to that point is painful.