This book was not for me. I've read several thrillers recently about neighbors keeping tabs on eachother (Woman in the Window, Watching You, Before She Knew Him) which made the theme seem over done and not unique. I found the characters to be not super likeable and saw some of the twists coming. I think if I hadn't read so many novels with similar themes I may have enjoyed it more.

I received a review copy from Netgalley. This book was alright. The characters were a bit one dimensional. I didn't feel like I had any good background on any of them except a bit of background mid way through on Amit, The Doctor. I don't normally like an overly large amount of detail but actually felt that this one was too generic in some ways. I also like more twists and turns. I could sort of anticipate Amit's moves before he made them which made this somewhat less suspenseful. I didn't feel like there were a lot of shocking reveals. The biggest surprise was that this book was centered around cryogenically freezing bodies because it wasn't mentioned in the blurb. A decent read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Well, this book was not what I was expecting. Happy family Ben, Emily & Robbie live next door to a strange couple where the husband is a doctor and the wife never leaves the house. The husband, Amit is a doctor, who spends hours out in a shed at the back of the property ever night. Emily is a bit of a busybody, and befriends Amit's wife Alisha. Trouble ensues.

This book focused on Cryogenics, and Amit's fascination with it, where people freeze their bodies hoping to be brought back to life at a later date when the organ donation they need because available, or there is a cure for their affliction. That was sort of interesting, although I don't think the author went so deep into it that I would say I learned a lot about it. This was quick read, nothing spectacular, but not bad either.

Get ready for a fast-paced thriller, The Doctors is one book that will definitely keep you guessing! Emily and Ben move to a new house, Emily is on maternity leave, and soon begins watching the comings and goings of their neighbors, especially Dr. Burman and his wife Alisha. However, something isn't as it seems, and Emily is determined to figure it out. Will Emily figure out what is happening with her friend, Alisha? Or will she be caught in the process? The ending few chapters will suck you in. This book kept my attention, but sometimes I felt the plot was a bit too far fetched.

TRIGGER WARNING- domestic violence, and abuse.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of The Doctors in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most wicked reads. Not because there was a witch or a demon, but a doctor, an anaesthetist, who was conducting experiments, playing God and wanting drastic results. Something which, according to him, was life saving... But noooo... the doctor in me says it was murder.

Amit was the doctor and Alisha his silent never-leaving-home wife. She kept to the house with blackened windows, and he was in the shed down the garden. Enter Ben and Emily, an easygoing friendly couple who wanted to befriend the doc and his wife but were stalled. Emily's curiosity soon led to the disappearance of the cat followed by her own.

Lisa Stone has created an aura of the mad doctor quite well in this book. I could read the doctor's thoughts and his notes about his experiments with horrified eyes. Lisa's portrayal of the other characters was distinct and contrary. Alisha was the scared one who couldn't leave home even if she wanted to. Her hidden secrets had more depths than the doctor's. I enjoyed knowing her. Emily was the ever-curious one who couldn't let go despite her partner's advice. And things came to a hair-raising climax when Amit decided to take matters in his hands....

Few things were unbelievable, but it went with the creative licence of writing a fiction. I quite enjoyed this book.

I forgot to take notes, I enjoyed reading this so much!

Emily and Ben have a newborn son, Robbie. They are neighbors to Dr. Amit & his wife, Alisha, Burman. Even at the start Emily thinks that there is something strange about them. She has tried to befriend Alisha but Alisha had that "scared rabbit' look about her. This, as if she was afraid to even talk with Emily, at all. Amit wants to be recognized, noticed, as a brilliant doctor. He is into cryogenics - since his wife has a genetic disorder, he wants to freeze her until a cure is found. Since Alisha refuses to sign up to have the group "ELECT" freeze her body, Amit takes things into his own hands. He works in his shed during any spare time he has. He orders strange items from the internet. He takes small amounts of anesthetic from the OR at the hospital...

Amit is also not a nice man - he is abusive and controls his wife with an iron fist and threats. Emily finally befriends Alisha. Since Amit has CCTV all over the house, Emily shows Alisha how to interrupt and restart the cameras so Emily and Robbie can visit at Alicia's house without Amit knowing.

Mean and creepy, Amit becomes even more deadly and strict as his "research" comes to completion. So as not to let any spoilers out - this book is a MUST read! Twists and suspense intensify as the book continues on. Meanwhile, the reader becomes immersed in the story!

Many Thanks to AVON Books, UK and NetGalley for a wonderful read!

Quite possibly one of the strangest books I’ve read!

So, as the summary says - Emily and Ben live next door to a mysterious doctor and his wife, who is seemingly terrified of him. Now, the summary indicates that Emily soon after goes missing, but really, this doesn’t happen until quite close to the end of the book. Instead, most of the book is taken up with her trying to solve the mystery of what on earth is happening with the doctor next door.

However, we the reader don’t need to wonder. We find out literally straight away. Like, within the first few pages. This really threw me at first - why give away the big twist? But by doing this, what you get instead is a fantastic sense of suspense, as Emily gets closer to the truth and you end up nearly screaming at her to stay away!

I also loved getting to see the doctors mindset - the author has created a real creep, someone who is obviously completely unhinged, and getting to read his side of things made for a fascinating foil to Emily’s investigating.

All in all, totally not what I was expecting, and so much stranger that I can say without giving some major spoilers! I will say though, there’s still lots of little twists and turns throughout, so don’t think that it’s all spoilt by having the big reveal so early!

This book definitely exceeded my expectations! I am all for thrillers about creepy neighbors, as well as thrillers involving the medical field. This book gave me both. The Doctor takes things to a whole other level with his determination to discover a cure for a disease at all costs.
It’s always the quiet ones. The ones that keep to themselves, that we hear about on the news when something bad happens. Well, the doctor and his wife truly live up to that description. This book draws you in from the very beginning, keeping you on the edge of your seat. There are some predictable moments, but you will not see those final twists and turns coming. I would love to see a sequel to this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to review this book! #NetGalley #TheDoctor

3.5 stars rounded up.
Well, this book delivered something I wasn't quite expecting! I am not quite convinced about some of the things I read herein but I took one for the team and accepted a bunch of, to me, implausible bedroom science. Once I did that, the rest of what happened fell better in place.
Emily is a newish mum. Her and husband Ben live next door to Dr Burman and his wife Anita. Not that they see much of them to be honest. Well, Emily sees Dr Burman as he flits between his house and his shed, but Anita appears a bit reclusive. Despite this, Emily tries to make friends with her and, after chipping away a bit, she manages to get Anita to let her in - and is a bit shocked by what she discovers. She keeps her concerns to herself though. Then, one day, Ben returns home to find his wife gone. A note left on the table which says she has left him for someone else. But this isn't Emily. Their relationship is solid. Or so he thought... Has Emily left him? Or is there more to the neighbours than meets the eye?
I've already said that I had to do a fair bit of accepting throughout this book. But then, it's fiction and all that is contained is pertinent to the plot and moving the story forward so I was, on the whole, happy to accept some things at face value, keeping my doubts to myself. I can't explain my issues in a review as to do so would contain spoilers but, if you are not as forgiving as me, maybe this might not be the book for you.
One of the main premises contained within this book is that you can never really know what is happening behind closed doors. People who appear to be fine upstanding pillars of the community can be hiding some deep dark secrets. We also have some very skewed values, instilled at an early age and twisted to satisfy what is now prevalent in the present. Which meant that although certain characters' actions were heinous to say the least, at least they came from a place that was credible and, to an extent, understandable.
There are some nasty scenes in the book, I don't want to go into detail (spoilers again) but I am pretty much unshockable to most things but even I was left reeling by some things that happened.
All in all, a good solid read that, credibility aside, was enjoying. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

When Emily and Ben move in next door to Dr Burman and his wife Anita, they are keen to get to know their new neighbours. Outgoing and sociable, Emily tries to befriend the doctor’s wife, but Anita is strangely subdued, barely leaving the house, and terrified of answering the phone.

When Emily goes missing a few weeks later, Ben is plunged into a panic. His wife has left him a note, but can she really have abandoned him for another man? Or has Emily’s curiosity about the couple next door led her straight into danger?

I never want to go to the doctor again after reading this book!! It was so intense and original, I just couldn't put it down. I went in thinking this was a domestic thriller type of novel, but nope! I loved it!

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheDoctor
Pub Date: 24 Jun 2019

This book is certainly not what I expected! I assumed it was going to be a domestic thriller with a creepy neighbour...and it was, but it was also much more than that. I was intrigued by the notion of a doctor as they swore an oath to preserve life...but THE DOCTOR, this doctor, takes that to the next level!!

It also poses the questions:
How well do you know your neighbours?
How can we know what really goes on behind closed doors?
And how far would you go to hide your darkest secret?

Emily and Ben have recently moved to a new house with their baby son Robbie. As a new mum, Emily is on extended maternity leave and becomes somewhat curious about their neighbours, Dr Amit Burman and his wife Alisha, who has an incurable genetic illness. She sees Dr Burman go into the shed or outbuilding at the bottom of his garden the same time every night and leave the same time every night. She comments to Ben about this curious behaviour but Ben dismisses it as none of their business. Although she agrees, Emily still can't help but feel it a bit strange. She has never warmed to Dr Burman, and has always found him to be unfriendly, arrogant and aloof.

Being of a friendly and sociable nature, Emily tries on more than one occasion to befriend Dr Burman's wife, Alisha - as you do with your neighbours. However, Alisha appears to be very withdrawn, does not leave the house and is scared of answering the door. But Emily is tenacious and her inquiring mind does not give in so easily. She begins to speculate that Alisha must feel incredibly isolated as Dr Burman certainly doesn't appear to spend much time with his wife, since he is always either at work or in his shed!

The very fact that Alisha is ill is reason enough for the woman to need support. Then in search for her missing cat Emily waits for the doctor to leave for work before knocking on their door, knowing Alisha would be inside as she never goes out. Reluctant at first, Alisha agrees to a cuppa at Emily's but no sooner is she there does she suddenly leave again without any explanation except "I have to go!" Emily is puzzled as to what made her leave so abruptly. Was it Robbie? As he had just approached her with a toy and a smile before she made her excuses and left. Alisha was certainly jumpy, nervy and very apparently frightened of something. But what? Emily is sure her husband has something to do it.

Refusing to give up, Emily continues to knock and break down the wall Alisha has around her. It isn't until one day when she knocks, after hearing what appeared to be a child's cry, that Alisha seems relieved to see her and ushers her quickly inside, exclaiming "Thank goodness you're here! I need your help!" Following Alisha upstairs, nothing could prepare Emily for what she would see. Shocked at first, she gives her assistance after which Alisha swears her to secrecy. No one must know! Not even Ben! It is this secret that binds the women together and they form a tentative friendship. But Alisha comes to look forward to Emily and Robbie's visits, which are kept secret and against Dr Burman's wishes.

But Emily soon becomes increasingly concerned for the welfare of her friend. She is extremely isolated and quite obviously under her husband's severe control. She begins to fear what would happen to her should he learn that Alisha has defied him. What would he do to her? One thing is for certain, Emily could not predict the chain of events that will begin to unfold once he does. Will her inquisitiveness and friendly nature be her downfall?

Dr Amit Burman is from a country not specified but possibly somewhere in the Middle East, and his culture demands success in the highest regard. His parents had mapped out his future for him to become a doctor, which he did not want to be. But almost failing his final exams, his results were not enough to become a doctor so he chose to be an anaesthetist. It does require some form of "God-like" superiority as he has the life of the patient in his hands. To appease his family of disappointment he has brought them, he is then forced into an arranged marriage to his cousin, Alisha. However, Amit continues to disappoint his family in not producing a healthy heir to their name, but rather a child with severe physical deformities resulting from a faulty gene causing the genetic illness Alisha now suffers. His family furious that they were not informed of this before the marriage.

Amit blames and shames Alisha for the medical issues and being the sole carrier of the gene. Why can't he have a healthy child? How can that nosy neighbour be allowed to have a healthy child and he cannot? He must be find a cure so that he can make his parents proud.

Amit refuses to allow Alisha to have any friends. She has long since lost contact with her family or anyone else. It is too dangerous. She might let something slip, and then they will let something slip. No one can know! He does not let her have a computer, laptop or phone and keeps her isolated and completely reliant on him. It has taken years to teach her to respect his wishes and if she ever defies him, he will punish her severely. By beatings, locking her in the cupboard or even where it will hurt her most. He must keep Alisha under control. For no one must know that secret - ever! That is one reason why he will not allow the friendship with that nosy neighbour, Emily - that and the fact she is far too nosy for her own good. Always asking questions. Always watching him from her window. But Amit has measures in place to stop his nosy neighbour - he has opaque film on the windows and CCTV cameras surrounding their house. He will know if she has been here.

But Amit has more than one secret. He is putting his medical training to good use and researching cryonic suspension animation with the idea of cryogenically freezing his wife for her to be resuscitated in the future when a cure for the genetic condition she carries is found. But Alisha flatly refuses to take part. As cryonic suspension requires the permission of the person to be suspended, Amit has taken it upon himself to research and test subjects - so he can undertake the task himself. Over the course of many months he has purchased and stored items in his shed, as well as discreetly stolen anaesthesia drugs from the hospital in which he works. All to contribute to his groundbreaking medical research which will see him ahead of his peers and at last make his parents proud.

Then Emily suddenly goes missing, leaving behind a note for Ben saying she had left him for another man. Ben refuses to believe it but soon begins to have doubts when he discovers a photo of Emily and someone named Greg with their respective children on Facebook. Who is Greg? And why has Emily never mentioned him before? Is this who she has left him for? He decides to message this Greg but days go by with no response, which only seems to confirm the fact that maybe they were together. The police are not much help. They, too, believe Emily has gone off with another man. It happens. So her missing persons case is marked as "non-urgent".

But then Ben starts to recall things he'd noticed and hadn't registered. Little things that didn't make sense is Emily had really left him. The kettle was still switched on (Emily always switched it off at the switch after a fire as a child). The mug on the sink (Emily always put it in the dishwasher). The remote on the coffee table (they always left the remotes next to the TV when not in use). The fact she didn't take any clothes, her handbag was still there with her purse and credit cards, their bank accounts were untouched, she had not been on social media and she had signed the note "Emily". Ben always called her "Em" and she always signed her notes and text as such. And she would never leave Robbie alone. EVER! Something was wrong.

Then a knock at the door reveals answers Ben never even knew. It seems Emily had confided a secret in someone who could tell them why Robbie was insistently repeating the words "Isha eve" when everyone had assumed he was saying "Christmas Eve", which had passed by a week ago. What had really happened to Emily?

THE DOCTOR is a sinister story with twists and turns, both atmospheric and claustrophobic which provides the reader with a chilling tale. The description for the book reads quite differently to how it actually plays out, which is probably why I thought I was delving into a domestic suspense with a creepy neighbour. It is misleading in the way the reader is lead to believe it is Emily and Ben's story, despite its title referencing otherwise.

The characters in this sinister tale are all strong, convincing and well-developed. I liked them all - well, except for Amit. Emily is a friendly well-meaning woman who is rather intuitive but very likable. Ben is the perfect partner, attentive, hardworking and loving. Alisha is very obviously a victim of an oppressive and domineering husband with a God-complex and self-inflated ego. But she is also dependent on him for everything.

THE DOCTOR himself is invariably creepy. Is he mad or bad? Or both? While he blames his wife for the faulty gene and we watch events unfold, we learn the truth quite differently revealing just how deranged he is and has become. The reader very definitely gets the strong sense of where the doctor is coming from and where his intentions lie.

I really liked how it mostly took place in one location which really gives that oppressive claustrophobic feeling of being trapped, adding to the drama and intrigue. While the reader knows throughout who "the bad guy" is, there are still many secrets to be revealed and twists along the way to keep you engaged. And still enough to keep you guessing.

The final chapters see the story climax at a rapid pace resulting in an epilogue with a last minute twist that will leave you thinking you cannot trust anyone. While some may dispute that it wasn't in keeping with the rest of the story and what had been a convincing portrayal throughout, I found it to be a delicious twist that was even better because I didn't see it coming!

A domestic thriller with a difference, THE DOCTOR is a compelling read that is also somewhat disturbing. It is not for the faint-hearted and comes with a TRIGGER WARNING for those sensitive to issues of domestic violence, child abuse, animal abuse and elder abuse, as THE DOCTOR touches on all of these.

Overall, an intriguing read I highly recommend. Particularly those who like their thrillers with a disturbing twist.

I would like to thank #LisaStone, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheDoctor in exchange for an honest review.

I actually quite liked this book. The synopsis pulled me in and I couldn't put the book down. It's so much more than the domestic thriller I assumed it would be.

The scientific side of the cryogenic freezing was detailed and well written, obviously some research had been done. With one of the main characters being a doctor, I think this was implemented brilliantly and cleverly.

I liked the realistic aspect of Emily watching her neighbours. I think if we are all truthful we are all inquisitive of our own neighbours in some way. Or maybe I'm just nosy!

There were a few times the storyline appeared a little too far fetched, I won't mention anything here because... spoilers! I feel I can overlook these though due to this enthralling read. I found it to be very engrossing with an unexpected, cold and chilling ending. Brilliant.

I think this would make a great one for bookclubs with lots of things to discuss and debate about.

I definitely think I would read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and Lisa Stone for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emily and Ben with young son Robbie move into their new home and try make friends with all their neighbours Doctor Amit Burman and his wife Alisha. Doctor Burman is an unfriendly character and Alisha is a timid soul, who never leaves the house. She has also a genetic disease that limits her to what she can do. The house has opaque film on the windows and has CCTV cameras watching the surrounding areas of their home. Doctor Burman is always spending time in the outbuilding of his home. Elisha tries to make friends with Alisha but is so scared of Amit finding out and she doesn’t realise what Amit will do if he finds out.
The story continues describing Amit trying to find a cure of Alisha’s disease involving Cryogenics. First with animals and then he tries to test an old dementia patient that he has abducted from the local hospital. But she dies before he can do it.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy of The Doctor by Lisa Stone. I was really looking forward to reading this from the Burb. I found the subject matter a bit different to other psychological thrillers I have read. I found this book to be really creepy and it just made me so uncomfortable to read. I have never had a book make me feel like this before. I found the story a bit unbelievable especially Amit how he stole things from his workplace but also the abduction of the old lady. If this was real life I would have thought, the hospital who have more security measures then in this story and the police wasn’t much better. 3 stars from me.

After reading the blurb for this book I knew that I wanted to read it. My interest was immediately piqued
At first I thought I have a really good domestic noir but then it evolved into a meaty psychological thriller which I found very hard to put down. In places this read became slow and at times stagnant this is just my own opinion. Almost five stars and recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Avon Books UK and Net.galley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Creepy, cryogenic crime thriller with a fascinating story line, but the characters were disappointing.

We have an ordinary husband wife and child living next door to a Doctor Amit who spends most of his spare time in a shed, and whose wife seemingly will not go out (or not allowed to go out?).

Maybe I was expecting more, but the book was a bit tedious in the middle and I was never really 'hooked'. More character background please.

This wasn’t for me - which disappointed me as the burb sounded like it would be.
Totally unbelievable at times, with some unlikeable characters I really struggled to even keep going at times.
Sorry but I won’t recommend this

Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with

Thank you for the advanced copy

Emily is on extended maternity leave when she tries to befriend her next door neighbour, Anita. Anita is quiet, reserved and barely leaves the house, almost the complete opposite in personality to Emily and her young son Robbie.

Dr Burman, Anita’s husband is borderline rude, and has little to do with his next door neighbours. Preferring to keep himself hidden away in his garden shed at all hours of the day and night.

This draws Emily's suspicion, as a respected Doctor, she believes that he should spending quality time with his wife when he isn't working, but he seems to prefer to spend hours in his shed alone.

It isn't until her beloved Cat, Tibbs goes missing, that Emily begins to wonder if there is more to the Burman family than meets the eye. Despite Ben's concerns, Emily befriends Anita whilst her husband is at work, determined to help her quiet neighbour out of her shell.

Emily is shocked by what she discovers, but nothing can prepare her for the subsequent events that follow.

Without going in to too much detail, as I don't want to give anything away, The Doctor is a gripping read from start to finish.

It reminded me a lot of Ruth Rendell’s Thirteen Steps Down, I think probably because Amit is such a delusional character, convinced of his own self worth, who is also a little creepy. A must read.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
WOW! This book was a great read, I had a hard time putting it down until it was finished. It is a true psychological thriller, with some twists and turns, some mystery, and some intense moments.
Dr. Amit Burman and his wife, Alisha, live next door to Ben, Emily and their son Robbie. Home on maternity leave, Emily tries repeatedly to befriend Alisha, who has a terminal illness and cannot leave the house. Amit is a very controlling husband, and not a very friendly neighbor, and Emily fears more is going on in their house then meets the eye.
Dr. Burman spends most of his free time researching an obsession of his, Cryonics, preserving a human body so it can be brought back to life at a later date. Presumably he wants to find a way to preserve his wife until a cure can be found for her disease and he can bring her to life and make her well again.
As in any true psychological thriller, you can never fully predict the outcome, or accurately guess everything that is about to happen.
Highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading more from Lisa Stone. Thank you NetGalley.

This was soooo creepy and disturbing but that’s a good thing! I thought this was an interesting plot and the story featured interesting characters. Readers will need to suspend reality a bit, but that didn’t bother me personally. While I enjoyed the characters, sometimes it was hard to follow as the narration jumped quite a bit. However, this was overall a great read.