The Promise is a psychological thriller with the story that revolves around three teenage girls making a promise to keep a dark secret for all their lives. Now many years after the event their school is about to be closed and demolished, two of them, Beth and Sally, would like to find the third one, Carol, to make sure the secret is not about to be revealed in a horrible unexpected manner. The author mastefully builds psychological tension in the first half of the book as we keep guessing what the secret might have been about. Beth and Sally hire a PI to find Carol. Soon they begin to get threats, which become more and more serious. The pace picks up noticeably in the second half, which is action packed, until the mystery is revealed and all loose ends are tied in. The book is well-written and should appeal to the fans of the psychological thriller genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Thomas and Mercer) for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

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.

Beth wishes she could take back the vow they made.

But somebody is watching and will stop at nothing to ensure the secret stays buried. Now, with her beloved family in peril, can Beth still keep the promise?

I quite enjoyed this book, it was written well but very predictable I figured out the plots twists so no surprises. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book. It was extremely well written. I read it all in one sitting. I would recommend to lovers of psychological thrillers.

4 friends, one secret from the past that has been haunting them for years. This book reminded me a little of Pretty Little Liars with just how far people will go to cover up their secrets. When it was time for the big secret to be revealed, I admit I was surprised! The writing seemed a little uneven to me, with the first half of the book a bit slow, but then the last part was a whirlwind. All in all, I thought it was a fun read for a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Teresa Driscoll is my new favorite author. her writing style is engaging and keeps me from wanting to put the book down. Get this book. You won't be disappointed!

If you have friends for life, you stick together for your whole life. Promises are made, and promises are kept. This was not really a mystery novel, but a story spanning a few decades of secrets kept. The novel jumped between time periods, and this just added to the mystery being compounded. I couldn't wait to see what the secret promise the friends shared was. The book was well written and I really enjoyed it. Recommended.

Great synopsis, interesting read, really makes you think. Appeals to many. Definitely recommend you try it! So glad I did!

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I struggled with this one and I’m not completely sure why. The plot had potential but there were way too many things happening at the end and it just seemed thrown together and rushed. I didn’t particularly like the characters and Beth really got on my nerves. Seemed like she had this attitude that it was all about her.

Don’t think I’d recommend this to others.

3 childhood friends share a secret that they promised never to tell anyone else. They grow apart, as friends often do, but when their secret is threatened to be exposed, can they put aside their differences to protect their secret?

I’ll be honest, I had a really hard time getting into this book. It just didn’t keep my interest. But I also didn’t have a lot of time to devote to reading and ended up reading small bits at a time. I’m not sure if that played a factor. I almost gave up on reading it, but I’m glad I didn’t. I really enjoyed the ending and there were some twists I didn’t see coming. I think others should give this book a try even though it wasn’t my favorite.
Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy.

#ThePromise #NetGalley

This follows 3 women who met in their young teens in a boarding school. A traffic thing happened to one of the girls that makes it pretty obvious the whole time but doesn’t get fully acknowledged till about 80% through. The girls swore each other to secrecy about this specific night but as grown women I felt like it was a little ridiculous. One of the girls came across very immature at times. She sounded like she was a teenager and had anxiety that would make her freak out and say things that didn’t sound like an adults thought process or reaction. They’re were times where I just wanted her to stop talking. The main character was the only one who seemed to have it together and she didn’t because she had her own experience.
I think I’ve just read too many mysteries and this one was just not up to par and didn’t have anything special to differentiate it and make it recommend worthy.

The Promise follows Beth, Sally, and Carol, they meet at a Catholic boarding school and become best friends, the story switched between the time they spent at boarding school and the present day. With the impending school reunion looming over their heads and finding out their old boarding school grounds are going to be torn apart, it becomes clears that a secret may be about to be discovered.

Something happened when the girls were just 14 years old and they each made a promise never to tell anyone, and they have been living with the secret ever since - a secret that seems to be torturing the women through their lives.

The secret was very long drawn out, that when it was revealed it almost fell flat fore me, I had an incline as to what it might entail, and I was only half right! The rest I never saw coming! This was a good psychological thriller and nice change of pace from the romance books I have been devouring of late.

I loved this latest psychological thriller by Teresa Driscoll! She is absolutely a master of writing about crimes and those who hide from the truth! Beth, Sally and Carol became fast friends in boarding school and when a tragedy happens to Carol, the three girls make a promise never to reveal what happened to anyone. Now the convent where they went to school is being sold and their secret may be revealed, so Beth is desperate to find Carol and get her to come to talk to them about the secret and the promise. The characterization was wonderful, with believable dialogues between the girls as teens and later as adults. All suffer in different ways from holding in the secret. Sally is almost a recluse until the investigator hired to find Carol befriends her. Beth seems to be the leader of the girls and the one most determined to keep the secret hidden, but she needs Carol’s help. I enjoyed the flow of the story, from past to present and from one narrator to another. Usually such stories confuse me, but Ms. Driscoll handled this seamlessly. The chapters were short enough that they ran smoothly into each other, leading me to continue to read until the exciting and unexpected conclusion. Readers of psychological thrillers will definitely enjoy this book! And I highly recommend it to anyone who loves suspense as their go-to genre!

Beth, Sally, and Carol are best friends, and have been since they met in boarding school when they were teens. Life changed for the girls one year when they were about 16 years old. They buried a terrible secret and went on with their lives, and now all these years later, Beth learns that the recent sale and proposed demolition and renovation of their old school threatens to expose the secret they have been trying to hide all these years. While Beth and Sally have remained relatively close through the years, Carol has become somewhat of a ghost, and they cannot readily find her, so Beth enlists the help of a PI to track Carol. The PI has his own secrets and demons. Together, the PI, Sally, and Beth vow to do all they can to keep the secret hidden. Things become more complicated when Beth starts receiving veiled threats urging her to give up on looking for Carol and to desist in her efforts to find out who else may know about the secret they thought was long buried.

The story unfolds slowly, and then all at once, as all the secrets both new and old come into the light. The girls discover the power of the bond that has held them together through the years and as the secrets pour forward the friends can finally start to heal the old wounds that have haunted them through the years. The Promise is a solid novel, that digs deeply into the effects of psychological trauma and abuse. Like In real life, the characters here find dealing with these unpleasant truths uncomfortable and difficult, but they are finally able to pick up their lives and move forward in healthy ways. I would recommend for fans of psychological fiction. Novel supplied by Netgalley.

I loved this book. The storyline kept me engaged, I liked the characters & I enjoyed the story jumping back & forth in time. It had lots of twists, some I never saw coming.
I highly recommend this book & author.

A really gripping thriller that kept me guessing until the very last page. I loved it. Would recommend!

I think I can imagine how The Promise by Teresa Driscoll evolved. First the setting, one which the author had experience of as a boarder, the adolescent peer groups and potentially a secret shared by the group never to be divulged. A good proportion of the book is spent wondering what the secret may be. When it's finally revealed it's a bit of an anti-climax. Certainly one which most adults upon reflection on their teenage selves would have come clean about. What gave The Promise more appeal were the embellishments which initially enhanced a simple story. However, judging the novel as a whole I think the pudding (story) was over-egged and stretched fiction a little far.
I wonder if those thatched cottages are still thatched? With their wood burners and Rayburns!

Another great novel from Teresa Driscoll. The premise is one we can all connect with very quickly and as the facts become clearer, the connection to each character becomes stronger and stronger.

Three friends who ensured a shocking experience at school promise never to speak of it. It destroys one of them, but the reasons for her self-distancing don't become immediately clear. And when they do...

You will want to keep reading this one long after it's time for lights out.

A good and enjoyable read but slow on the uptake. Good book to while away a day or two at the beach or if you've been rained in. Appreciate the fact I was allowed to review this tho.

This is a wonderful book, with multiple layers that open as the book develops. It makes for a fascinating journey to the complete story. I highly recommend it!

There are two sides to every story and the truth lies somewhere in between. You think you know the story in this he said/she said but it takes a turn for the unexpected.

I enjoyed the story and I thought I knew what was going on. It keeps you guessing till the end.