3.5/5

This one's a little difficult to review. The premise is interesting but unfortunately for me it seems to suffer from a pacing problem. I had a lot of suspicions at the beginning that I wanted to confirm so felt like I should finish it, but it felt like dragging my feet through mud to get to the 60% mark. Once there, though, the pages flew by.

I really enjoyed the two detective characters, their relationship and stories. I would love to see more about this duo as they crack cases. I also liked the overarching themes in this novel and found they were handled well where it could be very easy to be overhanded, the author wrote with care.

In the end everything I guessed in the beginning was the case, which was a little disappointing but overall it was a decent story and again, I loved the detectives and would definitely read another novel by this author if it focused on them.

Wow! This book was a whirlwind of twisty-turny goodness. Really enjoyable and some very much unexpected events!
I do feel however that parts of the book were very much dragged out, and some questions left unanswered. Maybe there will be a sequel?

WoW! What a book! Even though I guess the “who” half way thru the book, I had no idea how it was going to unfold. This book had so many twists and turns you never see the ending coming. It was a great read. I will definitely be recommending it.

Thanks NetGalley and Kate Simants for the copy!

Listen up everyone - YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!

This psychological thriller is the debut novel from Kate Simants and it is every bit as thrilling as the synopsis details. There are more twists and turns as you keep reading and I am claiming it as one of the best thrillers I have read this year. I will say no more aside from repeating myself again - READ THIS BOOK!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary copy of this book.

I am in awe of how good this book actually was. The premise of this book intrigued me and I found myself gripped from the very first chapter. Interesting, thought provoking and full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.

I loved that we got to have some insight into Ellie’s therapy sessions, how it allowed us to work through her issues and to think about what might have caused her problems. The author did a fantastic job of trickling information throughout the book, rather than telling us everything at the beginning. The two POV’s were interesting. I liked reading from the investigator as well as from Ellie’s POV. It added a whole new dimension to the story.

Overall, this is one of my favourite books I’ve read this year. I couldn’t put it down, the storyline was unique and I was excited to find out what would happen next. I recommend this book to everyone, absolutely brilliant!

this is a rare book in that it is unique, not the same formula so many authors use, whether well written or not, this is one story that turns into many other stories. kept interesting throughout and worth reading, lots of interesting info in it integrated well into the story, so not just trying to teach us things but as part of the experience

A gripping read which kept me enthralled with its premise.

Ellie had a sleep disorder, she had to be kept locked in as she became violent at night. One morning she found the door smashed, injuries on her body, and no memory and a missing boyfriend. She had to get to the truth.

My first book by this author, told in dual POV of Ellie and Detective Ben, the book was a whirlpool of suspense. I couldn't even begin to guess what could have happened or where the story would go. Detective Ben soon began to suspect her and I did too.

The writing kept the tension going right till the end. And made it a captivating read.

Creepy; delightful; scary. All three sum up this really original and well-written book. The characters jump off the page and stay with you far after you’ve finished reading.
5/5 on goodreads.

This was a chilling thriller. It was very well paced, with twists and turns. I really enjoyed my time.
Thanks a lot to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Was totally hooked on this book! It kept me on edge from the very beginning. And I never knew what to expect. Delicious dark and twisty turns! Great domestic psychological thriller! So many crazy surprises. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Hi and welcome to my review of Lock Me In!

Lock Me In is all about Ellie, who lives with her mum, and it soon becomes clear that Ellie doesn’t just have a sleeping disorder, she’s believed to suffer from DID – Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder). Well that just ticked all my psych thriller boxes in one go! I love psychological thrillers that actually explore an aspect of psychology, especially when they zoom in on a condition like DID, one that remains shrouded in mystery and controversy. Still, Lock Me In never becomes clinical, instead we see and feel the effects through Ellie and her mum.

Every night, Ellie’s mum locks her into her room, because it’s when she sleeps that her alter Ziggy takes over and does things, bad things. The reader sees the aftermath but never Ziggy herself, and neither does Ellie, who apparently goes into some sort of fugue state. Afterwards, she wakes up, hurt and dizzy, and can’t remember what Ziggy has done. No one knows about Ellie and her condition, except for her mum, and now Ellie’s boyfriend Matt. Ellie thinks she might get a happily ever after after all, but then Matt disappears. Ellie is convinced she, or rather Ziggy, had something to do with his disappearance. It wouldn’t be the first time: years ago, Ellie’s best friend disappeared too. I have to tell you, I loved Ellie to bits! And also her desperate search for the truth. Not only with regards to Matt, but also herself and her past. I was dying to find out where Ziggy had come from. Did something happen to Ellie when she was little? Presumably one does not grow multiple personalities (to refer to it with the old term) overnight and without any kind of trigger. The extracts of the conversations between Ellie and her psychiatrist in 2006 do nothing to clarify the situation, if anything they fuel the suspense.

Alternating with these extracts and Ellie’s POV in the first person, is Detective Sergeant Kwon Mae’s in the third person. Mae investigated the disappearance of Ellie’s friend and he has never been able to forget that case. Coincidence (or providence?) has thrown them back together, because this new misper case lands on Mae’s desk. Mae is fighting his own personal demons (name me a fictional cop who isn’t!) what with his ex-wife and his daughter who is having problems at school, and he is very determined to crack this case wide open with the help of rookie Kit, who is formidable and funny and l loved the interaction and the lingering tension between them and I kept hoping Kit would be able to get Mae out of his slump. (Did she though? Read the book and find out 😉)

Lock Me In is twisty and crazily addictive with a finale I did not see coming until late in the story, and which shocked me to the core. When the pieces of the puzzle have all been put together, they reveal an image that differs greatly from what is shown on the box. This is a fascinating and highly entertaining study of the human psyche and the things it is capable of. Recommended!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

Lock Me In is the depute thriller of Kate Simants and if her followups are anywhere near as good as this book then she is definitely an author you want to keep an eye out. Ellie Power isn't your ordinary young adult. Instead of gaining her independence and setting off into the world to find herself she is as dependent on her mother as ever. Due to a disorder, Ellie never stays away from home for long- and never overnight. Her mother is her rock and helps her through her "episodes" and locks her in her bedroom overnight to protect them both, especially after a past incident that led them to live a life of secrecy. Even through her difficulties, Ellie has managed to fall in love with Matt, a wonderful man who supports her even though her disorder limits the things she can do. Ellie's world is torn upside down when Matt goes missing and she can't remember anything that happened the night before. Suddenly the past creeps back in and everything becomes a question.

This thriller has everything! Romance, deceit, and murder. Everything that a good book is made of. This had me glued to every page and is completely unpredictable. If you're looking for a good fall mystery THIS ONE IS IT!

Absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down and I kept thinking I knew the ending but no, surprise after surprise kept me hooked. Great flawed but real characters and an original storyline. Definitely a must read. Thank you very much Kate Simants, I'll be looking out for your future books.

I freaking loved this book!

The story is told via two narrating characters. Ellie's perspective is in first person, which works exceptionally well as we're able to experience her confusion, frustration, and fear regarding her mental illness. Then we have DS Mae, the lead investigator, narrating in third person. The transitions are smooth and the different styles perfectly fit the story.

The mood is intense, dark, and emotional.

As for the plot, I'll only say - wow! This is a complex story, with multiple layers that are slowly peeled away to reveal the truth at its center. I don't want to say more, because this is a story you want to experience without even the hint of a spoiler.

This is Kate Simants first book, and she already writes like a seasoned pro. I can't wait for more from her!

#Lock Me In #NetGalley

This debut psychological thriller by Kate Siman, Lock Me In, had me hooked on page one!!
Ellie Powell who suffers from a strange sleep disorder, has to literally be locked in her bedroom every night. A seemingly normal person during the day, Ellie can become violent and filled with unpredictable rage during the night. Therefore, Christine, Ellie’s mother has the dismaying task of locking her daughter’s bedroom door every night!

One morning Ellie awakens to find bruises all over her body and the lock on her bedroom door broken. She discovers, to her horror that her boyfriend, Matt has disappeared. A search begins with the help of Detective Sergeant Mae to try to locate Matt. A few years ago, a similar incident occurred when her friend Jody disappeared. Could they be connected?

As the disturbing, complex tale unravels, alternating narrators Ellie and Sergeant Mae carry the reader down an settling road. On this road Siggy, Ellie’s alter personality is introduced, and she is revealed to be a terrifying character that lives inside Ellie and causes great havoc to her life. Could Siggy have killed Matt? And what about Jody.....did she kill her also? What really happens when Ellie’s bedroom door is unlocked???

The astonishing surprise reveal will leave readers incredulous. What an ending to a shocking new debut thriller. I highly recommend this book to those who love twists and turns!!

Many thanks to Kate Siman, the publishers, and to NetGalley for my advanced reader’s copy of Lock Me In. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ellie suffers from a sleep disorder that requires her mother to lock her in her bedroom every night for their safety. This book had me gripped from the first chapter and I read it any chance I got! It’s twisty and different and unlike anything I’ve read about before. What a pleasant surprise of a book! Can’t wait for more by this author.

If your favoured reading material is a novel with a good sprinkling of mental illness, anger, violence, unpredictability, menace, suspense and a sense of foreboding, then feel at liberty to read this début by Kate Simants - Lock Me In.

Ellie Power suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder and her other persona is a very evil Siggy. Christine, her mother, tries her hardest to protect her and manage Siggy as much as she can. After Ellie’s boyfriend Matt Corsham mysteriously vanishes, the disappearance is investigated by DS Ben Kwon Mae and DC Kit Ziegler.

Kate Simants gave the reader some excellent characters, most of whom had appeal despite their flaws and I cared about them from the very beginning. Of course, there was the odd less palatable one who was meant to be scorned.

The reader was furnished with the viewpoints of both Ellie and DS Mae. I appreciated that Ellie told her own story as this enabled me to have more of an understanding of her fears and suffering. Ellie was to be admired as she was so vulnerable yet she still possessed inner strength, as the story-line developed.

I adored the characters of the disordered and chaotic Ben Mae and angry, vulnerable but intuitive DC Kit Ziegler. Their working partnership that developed throughout the story was pleasurable to read as they left no stone unturned to establish the truth.

Kate Simants released her information in such a way that I did not want to put down my kindle and wait for the next chapter. The writing really flowed and there were wonderfully crafted descriptions of the people and events. Lock Me In was a suspenseful read and the author’s great talent made this a wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated for the entertainment it was. The ending was something of a surprise to me and very satisfying.

Overall, I'd say that Lock Me In is a little gem and a book that I'm so pleased to have read!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from One More Chapter via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

You want to know fear?’ begins Lock Me In as the prologue describes what it’s like to live with an ‘alter’. If it’s unnerving enough to feel watched, just imagine how terrifying it must feel to have that person inside you, to know they are always there, listening under your skin. The as yet unnamed narrator explains that doctors recognise this as a known disorder, usually as a result of some great trauma. It’s a really unsettling premise, particularly as we learn that the steps taken to manage the condition have failed and that there are moments where this alter forcibly takes control of the body. That chilling opening line becomes even more sinister with the last few words of this prologue; ‘Fear has a name. Her name is Siggy.’
As the story begins properly, it soon becomes clear that Siggy is the name that a young woman, Ellie has given to her alter. We learn that since childhood she has endured what are termed fugues, which occur only during the night, when Siggy takes control of her body - with devastating results at times. Ellie has been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder and it’s immediately evident that her condition rules her life. Her mother has to lock her in her room every night but it seems that Siggy is nothing if not resourceful and when Ellie wakes up covered in mud and bruises and with cuts on her hand which look like she punctured the skin with barbed wire, she fears the worst. Ellie’s fear of the unknown, of what may have occurred when Siggy was in control is almost palpable but so too is her mother, Christine’s reaction. Her anger isn’t directed at Ellie but at Siggy and it’s plain that she has spent many years managing the situation and reacting to whatever has occurred overnight, taking whatever steps necessary to protect her daughter. Their concern over the whereabouts of Ellie’s boyfriend, Matt becomes even more perturbing with the mentions of Jodie, with whom she shared a close bond during her teenage years. Something terrible obviously happened in the past and Ellie is terrified that Matt may have come to harm.
As she tries to discover what had happened to her missing boyfriend, she is confronted with some faces from her past, most notably Detective Sergeant Ben Kwon Mae. He knew Ellie years ago and was heavily involved in an investigation which resulted in his immediate supervisor being sacked and Mae himself receiving a month’s suspension. Matt’s failure to turn up at work doesn’t look particularly suspicious and it’s the sort of case which would usually be a low key investigation unless new evidence turns up but when Mae discovers the link with Ellie, it becomes something far more personal. The chapters are divided between Ellie’s first person perspective and a third person narrative which follows Mae’s investigation. Although this is a standalone thriller, he is a terrific protagonist and I’m sure I won’t be the only reader who hopes to see him again. In a book which features such a striking lead character in Ellie, I wouldn’t have been surprised to have been more drawn to her chapters but that is far from the case and I enjoyed Mae's parts of the story just as much. I loved seeing how the partnership between him and Trainee Investigator DC Catherine (Kit) Ziegler develops and his eventual recognition that he must face up to the demons from his past and deal with some painful personal decisions. He has to negotiate the challenges of being a single father with a demanding job - not always successfully - and some of the scenes featuring his young daughter are really touching - especially when he has to come to terms with what may be best for her.
As the novel progresses it becomes difficult to know who can be trusted and there are plenty of twists and turns which kept me guessing. Throughout the book there are audio transcripts from sessions Ellie had with a psychotherapist, Charles Cox back in 2006 which are intriguing as much for what Ellie doesn’t say as for what she does divulge. There are constant hints that something terrible happened in her past but it’s not necessarily clear what Cox’s intentions were towards Ellie either and what becomes most obvious is how vulnerable she appears to have been throughout her life. Doubt is also cast throughout as to just exactly what Siggy - and therefore Ellie - is capable of and this makes her position as an unreliable narrator absolutely fascinating, particularly with regards to the fates of Jodie and Matt.
I don’t want to give anything away about the shocking revelations which take place but I can say that although I had correctly worked out part of the plot, it never detracted from my enjoyment of the story. Kate Simants cleverly scattered her clues throughout the proceedings and I was able to follow a few of them but there were still plenty of surprises and red herrings to keep me on my toes. Lock Me In is a beautifully crafted thriller and I was engrossed from start to finish; the gripping plot is dark and disturbing but has some surprisingly emotional scenes, the pacing is superb throughout and the characterisation is excellent - Ellie and Mae obviously, but Christine and Kit are also thoroughly compelling. I highly recommend it and am eagerly looking forward to reading Kate Simants' next book, the winner of the Bath Novel Award 2019, The Knocks.

Lock Me In by Kate Simants was a brilliant book and I was gripped from the very first few pages it is a chilling psychological thriller that will keep you hooked until the very last page. The characters were brilliant and all had a great part to play in this brilliant book.

"Whatever you do, don’t open the door"…...........

Why????

Ellie Power is a normal young girl, she has a normal life, living in a stable home and has a loving boyfriend called Matt, they're very happy. However, Ellie has a secret she suffers from DID - Dissociative Identity Disorder. At night she alters and becomes "Siggy" She only comes out at night and has history of violence, She becomes angry, unpredictable, violent. Ellie's mother tries to control Ellie by locking her in her bedroom at night so Siggy can not get out and hurt anyone or herself!
Ellie's mum has to try and keep her self and others around her.

One morning Ellie wakes up only to find the lock on her bedroom door broken and her door is smashed from the inside! Ellis is covered in bruises etc and she does not remember anything about the night before.

What has Ellie done?

How did she get these injuries?

Her boyfriend Matt is nowhere to be found?

Where is he?

Has she done anything to hurt the man she loves?

OMG.................What a book!!! I highly recommend this book.

Big Thank you to the publishers, Kate Simants the author, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

For a debut, this is highly impressive. Well crafted and enjoyable, I definitely couldn’t put it down and will be looking out for more by this author. Definitely on my “one to watch” list.