I am going with the unpopular opinion and say j didn't enjoy it. I know nothing about Did and I feel this book didn't educate me enough for me to care.

LOCK ME IN is a compelling and tense psychological thriller debut from Kate Simants. I really didn't know what to expect but that haunting cover drew me in straight away! And it is so good it is hard to believe it is a debut.

Chilling in its complicit manipulation, this thriller throws us twist after twist...just as soon as we think we have it all figured out...that just keeps adding to the puzzling plot. But one thing is for sure - nothing is as it seems.

Ellie Power is a normal 19 year old girl by day, but by night her mother Christine has to lock her in her bedroom to keep them - and everyone else - safe. Ellie has Dissociate Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder or split personality - an illness that put her and everyone around at risk. You see, at night after Ellie and her mother have gone to sleep, Ellie becomes a different person. At night, her alter named Siggy, comes to life. And Siggy is angry. Siggy is violent. Siggy is unpredictable...but most of all, Siggy is dangerous.

One morning, Ellie wakes to find the lock on her bedroom door broken, she's covered in bruises, her hand is badly cut and her clothes are caked in mud. But even more so, Ellie has no memory of what happened during the night.

Later that day, she discovers her boyfriend Matt is missing and her cuts tally with the barbed wire fence near the narrow-boat he's been living on. Then she finds his car parked just behind their flat. At first she thought Matt had driven her home...but then she realises that all the adjustments - mirrors, seat etc. - match her build and not Matt, who is over six feet tall. It is then she realises...Siggy can drive. What has she done?

Both Ellie and her mother are horrified. This has happened before and it cost her best friend her life. They thought they could control Siggy, but it appears they cannot, as she seems to be getting worse. With Christine always in the firing line, coming out second best with black eyes and bruises as a result of Siggy's anger.

What then unfolds is a frightening journey into the mind of someone with Dissociate Identity Disorder, a missing person, a questionable psychotherapist, the discovery of child exploitative material, stolen drugs with severe side effects and so much more. LOCK ME IN is filled with secrets, lies, deception, manipulation and murder...but above all, NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS!

With short snappy chapters, the alternating perspectives between Ellie's first person narrative and Detective Sergeant Ben Kwon Mae's third person POV is both compelling and clever. Through Ellie's eyes we get that personal insight into the inner turmoil she suffers mentally and emotionally as a result of her DID. And yet, in Mae's third person narrative we are privy to the unfolding investigation into what began as a missing person but ended up so much more.

I had my own suspicions throughout and while I was correct in my assumptions in part, nothing could prepare me for the unabated truth of the bigger picture. The plot developments towards the end were brilliant and fascinating all at once, bringing what was essentially an incredibly sad tale to a satisfying and happy end.

An absolute page turner I could not devour quick enough, LOCK ME IN is a psychological thriller of the highest calibre that is fast paced and will keep you guessing to the end.

I would like to thank #KateSimants, #NetGalley and #HarperImpulseAndKillerReads, #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #LockMeIn in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure about this book to begin with and it took a while for it to grab my attention. The main character Ellie has DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and at nights she can take on a different persona called Siggy. From the beginning we learn that Siggy is often violent and Ellis has to be locked in at nights by her mother to avoid causing damage. Then Matt, her boyfriend, disappears and the worrying sets in...

The book switches between two points of view: Ellie and DS Mae. I really liked Mae as a character and felt that without his points of view, the story could have been read in a very different way. For me, Ellie was quite a cold character to begin with but as the story goes on, we find out more about her and begin to sympathise more.

Once I got into the story, this book became quite the page turner with lots of twists and turns along the way. I had my suspicions about how the end would play out but despite that, I felt this was a great debut novel for the author and I would certainly read more of her books in the future!

I enjoyed this read and the subject matter of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) really interested me, especially as I just finished reading another book about this disorder which left me wanting more. I was instantly hooked reading about Ellie's life and the methods her and her mother had to go to, to protect themselves, and the world, from 'Siggy'. I did initially find Mae's backstory tedious and unnecessary but must admit by the end of the book had really gotten into this and could imagine reading another book with him and Kit involved, and learning more about them as characters. I loved the twist(s) and although quite wild, found it was made believable by the evidence given. However I was left with a few unanswered questions and while I won't publish them in this review (spoilers!) that is part of the reason I couldn't rate this book 5 stars. A solid read for those who enjoy psychological thrillers, especially for those wanting a storyline a bit different from the norm.

*I received an advance review copy of Lock Me In from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I really liked this book. I loved the way it explored mental illness and the stigma around it. I loved how involved the author got with each character. I had sort of guessed what was happening in this story but still loved each new thing I discovered about each character.

Very well written and I would love to read more from this author!

An impressive debut from Kate Simants. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Lock Me In" and this is a writer to watch in the psychological thriller genre. Original, deals with a complex psychological subject (disassociation), full of suspense, brilliantly written, and a completely unexpected ending. It's not often I'm left feeling so emotional at the end of a thriller, but I found the last few chapters breathtaking and I sympathised with all the characters. No spoilers in this review - you'll have to read it!

The novel is told from two points of view. Ellie has an 'alter' called Siggy, and this somewhat abstract depiction of Ellie's fear and anxiety is brilliantly portrayed. Ellie's mother locks her in her room every night, and they live in a bare house with little furnishings and possessions. One morning Ellie wakes up and her door has been unlocked. She is covered in bruises and cuts and is terrified that the past has repeated itself. When her boyfriend goes missing she tries to find out what has happened... The second point of view is Ben Mae, a detective sergeant. Kate Simants has created an instantly likeable police character whose life, personality and relationship with his mentee (Kit) were the main interest for me. I'm not a great fan of police procedurals, but in this novel the police chapters have a depth and interest that kept me engaged with the characters with lots of emotion, reality, humour.

The novel is really well written. I loved the detail of observations about people and the settings that delivered a lot of impact in a few well-chosen words and sentences. I spent most of the book trying to work out what was going on and as I started to piece together the mystery and all the secrets, the ending took me by surprise. I loved it.

What a great debut novel from this author! The story had me hooked from start to finish. This was a fast paced read with lots of twisty goodness! This author deserves more hype than she is getting I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her books!

3.5 stars

This was good for me. It started off slow but that may just be my mood lately. I knew almost from the beginning some of what was going on but there were still some twists in there. Had a lot of sympathy for almost all the characters by the end of the book. Was a very creative idea from the author.

This premise, right? Could you imagine trying to live a normal life, but at night someone else takes over your body and makes you do things that you have no memory of doing?

This is what happens to Ellie, and when her boyfriend disappears her life turns into a nightmare.

I loved the uncertainty of this book, which jumps back and forth between Ellie's point of view and the detective that's chasing her, Ben Mae. Neither of them really understands the entire situation and as they slowly peel back the layers it was really fun to try to figure out what was going on.

About 75% into this book I really thought I had the whole story figured out. And... I sort of did. But I wasn't totally right, and I kind of loved that. I love trying to figure out books like this one, and when they trick me, and trick me the right way, it's like I've struck gold.

If you love twists, turn, and unreliable narrators you're totally going to love this book.

I didn’t really care for this book. It seemed to veer off on several different plots and I never cared about any of the characters. I am definitely in the minority from other comments I have seen so give it a try and let me know what you think.
Ellie wakes one morning with a cut and punctures on her hand. She has smears of what appear to be blood. She asks her mother how this could have happened because she has her mother lock her in at night to keep her alter ego they call Siggy from doing things in her sleep that she doesn’t remember later. There is also a handprint on her neck and when she tries to reach her boyfriend Matt he has disappeared.
Detective Sergeant Ben Keon Mae leaps to investigate the case when he hears the name of Ellie and her mother because of a case when he first joined the force in which they crossed paths.
The story leaps from looking for Matt and Ellie’s mother trying to cover for her, to the detectives daughter being bullied in school, and other red herrings along the way which had me put the book down repeatedly. I honestly came close to not finishing this one.
Thank you to #netgalley and #harpercollins for the advance ebook in exchange for my honest opinion. 2.75 rounded up

Lock me in was an intense gripping and thrilling read, I’ve read nothing like it before, Ellie’s Story of multiple personalities really fascinated me, some parts were actually quite scary and gave me goosebumps- a sure sign of a fantastic thriller! I don’t want to give too much away, Ellie has no control over her actions at night time to the point she has to be locked in her room by her mother whom she lives with, she is overtaken by different personalities one of which is a force to be reckoned with and pretty frightening, she awakes one morning to find her boyfriend has disappeared- she is covered in bruises and cuts, what exactly happened the night before and where is her boyfriend?

A compelling and chilling thriller that will keep you hooked until the very last page. Thank you to net galley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVE when a book takes me by surprise. It came in off my radar and I could not put it down.

So, Ellie suffers from disassociate identity disorder and while she is asleep a person called Siggy takes over her body. Siggy is really violent. Her mother locks her in her room every night so if Siggy makes an appearance she can hurt her or anyone else, for that matter.
Imagine being Ellie and waking up knowing this, covered in mud and finding out your 'boyfriend' has gone missing. How do you live with yourself when you just really don't know what happened! Ellie turns out to be a strong character who is constantly moving forward when it would be so easy to curl up in a ball, locked in a room. She's fighting an enemy...and that enemy is inside her. She looks into it's eyes every time she looks in a mirror.
This story really focuses on the police investigation. It's a bit predictable but I enjoyed it and could absolutely see this on the big screen.

* I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I liked this thriller. I did totally guess the main antagonist early on, but I think you're supposed to. There is more mystery behind the why/when than about who did it. This thriller also took a long time to get started, like close to 30% before I got really sucked in to it.

I think the depiction of DID (dissociative identity disorder) might be considered problematic. I do not have it so I can't vouch for it one way or another. This mostly has to do with the way the trope of mental illness in thrillers is used, I won't spoil it but it could be an issue.

I also figured out one of the main twists the moment it was hinted at. I did still enjoy watching the characters find their way to the conclusion, but it felt like it took a very long time for it to happen when it felt obvious to me what was going on. I enjoyed the ride, but only a few twists caught me off guard. It was annoying that one character was constantly used as a red herring/distraction from the main plot and I just found myself annoyed every time they were mentioned.

Ellie suffers from a sleep disorder. She can become unpredictable and violent, so she needs to be locked in her bedroom at night. One morning, she awakens to discover her bedroom door smashed, injuries on her body, and no memory of what happened during the night. Then she learns her boyfriend is missing. As Ellie questions what happened, she delves into her past to learn more about her condition.

Told with alternating points of view - Ellie and Detective Ben Mae. Detective Mae is assigned the missing persons case of Ellie's boyfriend. Ellie and Detective Mae have a history though. He worked the case of her missing best friend a couple years prior. That's right, a similar situation happened previously, making Ellie an obvious suspect. She doesn't remember what happens on those nights though, and, so far, there is not real evidence linking her to a crime.

An intriguing psychological thriller. Ellie lives with her mother, and they keep very low profiles. As the investigation of Ellie's boyfriend progresses, secrets from Ellie's past are revealed. Slow-burning, engrossing, and twisty.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. There are multiple viewpoints, which were both written well. Each character had a distinct voice that was easy to follow. The ending hooked me in - I couldn't wait to find out what it all meant. The ending did not disappoint - very unexpected.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this. From the beginning, it grips you.

I grew up with a girl who had multiple personalities and the descriptions were spot on in this book to how she described her other entities coming to the front. It was an interesting, unique read and I’m really glad I was able to read it before it was published. I highly recommend this one.

WOW, this is such a cracking debut. It was hard to put down and the storyline and twists were spot on.
Thoroughly enjoyed it, and recommend.

This was another impulse read - the cover and premise of this debut novel drew me right in! I was thrilled to start reading a book that centers around Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) which has been a favorite fictional trope of mine since Mary Higgins Clark's All Around The Town. But this book with chapters from Ellie's perspective (she is the one suffering from DID, with a violent alter, Siggy, who emerges only at night), treatment notes from 2006 and DS Mae who has known Ellie for years and is now back in her life when Ellie's boyfriend goes missing, all combines into a fresh-feeling thriller.

Ellie is sympathetic - her life with her mother is a sheltered one and she's so very isolated from the rest of the world because of her illness. But as more information develops, it becomes harder to see just who the real villain is - Simants keeps you guessing until the very end. It's a truly riveting read and certainly an impressive debut. There's plenty of action and a lot of unexpected twists to the plot. This is definitely an author I will keep watching out for in the future! I enjoyed this from start to finish and can't wait to see what Simants writes next!

A debut novel!? Hello! Kate Simants is serving us psychological REALNESS! Author added to my favorites ... I'm going to need everything she writes!

Lock Me In is a fast paced and twisty story of Ellie who suffers from Disassociate Identity Disorder. Her alter, Ziggy "appears" while Ellie sleeps. She is angry, volatile and unpredictable. Her mother locks her in her bedroom at night to keep her safe ... but one morning the lock on her door is smashed and we sound discover Ellie's boyfriend is missing. And so the story begins...

I couldn't put this down! I loved the pace of this book, the short chapters that alternate between Ellie, Ben Mae & one other character I'll leave for you to discover. Ultimately this storyline is excellent and will have you questioning everything ... and yes, with a twist at the end you likely won't see coming.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

I thought this was an outstanding debut novel which had me gripped from start to finish. Eleanor (Ellie) Power suffers from DID, her other persona is Siggy who is evil and when Ellie goes into a fugue state, Siggy takes over. Ellie has the distinctive feature of one green eye and one blue which she apparently inherited from her father who isn’t in her life. Ellie is covered in scars from a childhood accident. Her mother, Christine tries her best to protect her and manage Siggy as best she can. When Ellie’s boyfriend Matt Corsham disappears this is investigated by DS Ben Kwon Mae and DC Kit Ziegler. Mae knows Ellie from a previous case when Ellie’s best friend Jodie disappears three years ago. What unravels next is a chilling, twisty and very dark psychological thriller with intrigue throughout. The story is told by Ellie in the first person and Mae in the third person. I like that Ellie tells her own story as it allows the reader to understand her and the constant fear that she lives with and the shocking things she has suffered. The narrative is interspersed with transcripts from psychotherapist Dr Charles Cox who tries to help Ellie around the time of Jodie’s disappearance.

I really like the characters of Ben and Kit. Ben has a chaotic life, juggling looking after his daughter Bear with his ex-wife. I love the interactions with Bear who is so loveable though she sometimes takes a back seat to the demands of a policeman’s life. He carries a lot of baggage which is hinted at in the story. Kit Ziegler is bright, intuitive and seems very strong but she too has things in her life that make her both angry and vulnerable. I love the partnership and teamwork that develops between these two as they move heaven and earth to find Ellie’s truth. Ellie is admirable, she is so fragile but she finds strength as the story progresses. Her story is very dark and you feel tremendous sadness for her and her suffering. Christine appears to be a good and caring mother who has sacrificed a career in journalism to devote herself to Ellie but as time goes on that comes into question. Cox seems despicable and he certainly does things that are not ethical but in his own way he is trying to help Ellie and he certainly unearths things in Ellie’s past that seem initially to have no explanation.

The storytelling is very strong and you feel the chills and fear that surround Siggy. There are constant questions and the plot takes many twists and turns. I did guess some of it but that in no way spoils the enjoyment. My one criticism is that as you reach the climax of the book it all seems a bit convenient and it ties up a bit too neatly. The book ends on an optimistic note for Ben Mae which I like and I really hope that he and Kit may feature in more books as I think their characters are too good for just one! I also want to see what happens to Bear! Overall, an exceptional good story.