Feeling at peace with placing a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult task. Dementia is an evil monster and while the mother struggles with reality a lot is happening at the place, she now calls home. On the days that she is clear the abuse from the staff is too much to bear. The descriptions are graphic and realistic, is saddens me to see how many patients want to die because of how hard life has become for them. This book will definitely move you as it's hard to read at times because of the abuse endured by the elderly. However, the author did a great job of making this story realistic, intriguing about who the killer was, and if anyone would ever believe a dementia patient who was witnessing terrible things happening around her.

An unreliable narrator due to dementia and elder abuse combine in this well paced novel that will keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more from this author! I highly recommend this book and author to all!

Such a good read. I really enjoyed it, especially the ending. Looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Good plot, good storyline, nicely written for something didn't gel for me with this book. I really wanted to enjoy this but sorry, not for me.

2.5 stars rounded up. I liked the interesting setting, an elderly care home, and the unreliability of the narrator (because we know she has dementia). But the other narration was a little off-putting. The elderly abuse was upsetting to imagine. The end felt a bit muddled and abrupt but I did like that it all wrapped up and I did feel compelled to find out how the story ended. So while I liked this one, there were enough topics that were tough to read and just an okay end.

This story is set in old people’s home.
The writing is so good. The story is told from multiple POVs. This book has a good plot line and a good story.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

An edge of the seat thriller! It will have you so on edge you will be checking under your bed and behind doors. A must read!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

I liked this book but I couldnt say I loved it. It was a bit far fetched for me. I didnt really connect with the characters which is a must for me to get into the books. The topic and plot just didnt do anything for me. I found the writing style frustrating.

Adeline Evans is our main character, a new diagnosis of early dementia and losing her husband relatively recently, her and her daughter agree it is time for a nursing home. Adeline still has her wits, for the most part and the biggest issue is being back in her hometown. Her daughter Claire wanted them both back there after her father brought the town to her attention. Adeline is furious, after everything they ran away from, why why would he do this. Adjusting to a nursing and her condition is task enough but some of the residents and staff are downright hostile. When she makes a friend she is warned that not everything is as it seems and she needs to keep her head down if she wants to stay safe!


Eeek so the book splits into a few parts, present day and back to when Adeline was a teen and the drawn out what she ended up running from. We soon come to know there is a serial killer operating in Adeline's home town. She also has issues from her past she is struggling to stay ahead of, she just wants to be with her new love & free of her nagging parents. We also hear from the killer and snippets of news reports covering the killings.

I did much prefer the past parts of the book, it worked better for me and I felt compelled to read because I wanted to know the who, why and what of it all. Present day - the nursing home, there was so much, even suspending reality I found myself getting a bit annoyed and ratty with the present chapters. Some of the characters are truly horrific, horrible, abusive and nasty and some of the best books have these "baddies" such as they are but I found myself thinking really? several times. I wanted retribution, comeuppance and a bit more of the why.

I also thinks the fact it was in first person narrative helps create the real feel of someone with dementia, the confusion and fear with their thoughts however I found it confusing at times. It certainly lends an authentic feel/voice to the character and how they are struggling and experiencing everything that is happening to them. I feel like I am being quite harsh and I didn't hate the book but I got really frustrated, I would have liked to have reached in and shouted "What are you doing, DO THIS, DO THAT". Even with present day Adeline you can forgive some of the reactions but young Adeline, some points I was like WHY WOULD YOU NOT DO X,Y,Z. Some people absolutely loved this book so don't take my grumpy moaning take because I did say I didn't hate it, I did enjoy parts of it and think she gave Adeline (modern day) an authentic voice I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. 2.5/5 for me, this was my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read her other books - this one just sadly wasn't the best fit for me.

This was a book that verged on the very dark and twisted. It is told over two main timelines and by two people. One of them is Adeline Evans, she has recently moved into a home for the elderly. She has signs of dementia and is forgetful, easily agitated and since her arrival, the home hasn’t been quite the same. The other voice is that of the killer.

Adeline’s story is told as her time as a 19-year-old. In her home of West Sussex, there have been disappearances of girls, their bodies turning mutilated. There is a serial killer on the loose and the police have no idea who it is.

Now as much as I liked this book I did feel that I was impatient while reading it. My impatience made it feel as if the story was dragging slightly. There are various topics that come to light in this story, one is the mutilation of the bodies and the other is of unprofessional practices in a home and I do admit to these not being my favourite topic in a book, but saying that it does add to the dark and twisted nature of the killer and also to how Adeline was so easily dismissed in some of the things she mentions.

This was a good read, as I mentioned I did feel it was a little slow in places but I still found it was quite addictive as I really needed to know all the answers. The story was quite complex with various things going on and I was kept on my toes until the author was ready to drop a hint. This hint was one that left me with an “Oh, it’s …” a sort of eureka moment if you like.

One for crime, thriller readers that is quite addictive and well-plotted and one I would recommend reading.

Disturbing on so many levels, THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY is a somewhat unique but scary concept. It makes you stop and think what if this really happened. Unlikely, I know, but with some of the unsavoury things that do often go undetected in aged care homes, it does make you wonder.

The story begins in the present day with Adeline Evans, an elderly woman nearing 80, who has moved into a aged care home. Adeline has the early stages of dementia so her memory is not what it used to be, often playing tricks on her and leaving her questioning the validity of everything she knows. But it's not just the care home that Adeline is worried about - it's the fact that her daughter Claire has brought her back to where her nightmares began sixty years ago. A place she vowed she would never return. A place where old memories begin to resurface.

It was 1959 and Adeline Walker was 19 years old. Having moved from their previous place under somewhat dubious circumstances three years previous, her parents wanted a new start for themselves and their only daughter in West Green, Crawley. But life has not turned out how she, nor her parents, had envisioned. Her mother wanted more for her only daughter and set her sights on the most eligible bachelor in town - Oliver Parsons. But Oliver was not who he appeared to be and when Addy broke off with him, the repercussions were relentless.

But Adeline had also gained the attention of another admirer. Someone who remained in the shadows. Someone who watched and waited and bides his time. A killer with an appetite beyond all measures who snatched his victims and left bite marks all over their bodies, some dismembered. Each of his kills were the lead up to his grand finale that was to be Adeline Walker. But with six women living in such close proximity having been brutally murdered, Adeline's parents decided it was time to move...for fear their daughter may be next. But Adeline was going nowhere without Charles. So they made their own plans to escape in the middle of the night, catching the first train out of Crawley and never looking back.

Now sixty years later, having been happily married for many years before Charles' death the previous year, Addy now finds herself in Smith Creek Manor Care Home where the past begins to haunt her. Strange things start happening - at first little things - but disturbing nonetheless. Notes left on her noticeboard, Bible verses damning her to hell, mice in the bed, blood on the walls, her photos smashed. There is a man she recognises from her past and another who seems vaguely familiar who stares at her daily from his window - do these men mean her harm? Then her only friend dies suddenly after she discovers something important she was about to disclose to her. But no one believes Addy when she tries telling them what's happening and that someone is trying to kill her. It's just dismissed as "the confused mind of dementia".

Added to that is the disgraceful behaviour of some of the bullying staff who spare no thought to the elderly residents in their care, abusing them constantly on a daily basis. But who will listen to the cries of an old woman whose addled brain is decaying from dementia?

Told in the past, the present and in newspaper clippings, THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY is a chilling read that is both shocking and confronting. As secrets of the past are slowly revealed, we learn more about Adeline and her dubious past and the fear that plagues her now.

THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY is an atmospheric read as the fear and vulnerability of those within the walls of a care home, that is supposed to care for its residents, is downright disturbing. As is the past that is equally chilling.

My first read by L.A. Detwiler and it is such a thrilling read that while I pieced together parts of the puzzle early on, the ending was rather unexpected. But a thrilling and chilling read which I thoroughly recommend for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers.

I would like to thank #LindsayDetwiler, #NetGalley and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheOneWhoGotAway in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy to read thriller thaylt kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend! This was really good...pick it up!

Adeline has dementia and she doesn't want to be a burden to her daughter, so she moves into a home for the elderly. It's heartbreaking to see her so confused and lost. I had a hard time staying focused and finishing the book.

This is one of those books that stay with you long after you have finished reading it... utterly chilling. I enjoyed the storytelling, the differing perspectives and the inclusion of news stories. The premise of the book though gripping made for uncomfortable reading.

Having read an L.A. Detwiler book before, I was all for checking out The One Who Got Away. I love the mystery Detwiler gives the readers and was hoping for another one to grip me!

Full disclosure…. I did not finish this book. I really wanted to. I tried multiple times. I tried putting it down and coming back to it. I talked to my friend who loves books thinking maybe it was just me. As much as I wanted to love this book, I just could not get into it. I firmly believe you should read a book at least a quarter in before decided if you can’t read it. By that point the book should interest you a little. While The One Who Got Away was an interesting idea, the story was just too slow for me. I couldn’t get my grasp.

With all that said, I know from previous books that I do like Detwiler’s stories and her writing. From what I did get through of The One Who Got Away, her style was still there. You really do feel like you are there with the characters. Unfortunately for me, this character didn’t catch me and the story dragged out. I needed it to move a little faster.

I always encourage people to read for himself. Just because I wasn’t loving this book doesn’t mean you won’t, or that you won’t love the next one by the same author. So please check out this book and try it out for yourself.

Great, well written narration. I liked the fact that the story went back and forth between two time lines and that we were given the point of view of the antagonist as well as the protagonist. I also liked that it was coupled with newspaper articles however that's where the positives end for me.

I saw all the twists and turns coming. I knew who hadn't done it from early on and very soon worked out who had done it. I worked out Addy's secret quickly too. I love psychological thrillers and enjoy working out the twists and turns but this was just too easy. In addition it was also an uncomfortable read as it's set in a nursing home and the staff were abusive. I just kept feeling angry and frustrated.

Despite this I would give L. A. Detwiler's other novels a go as I did like her writing style. I also applaud her for staying away from the stereotypical protagonist of a young woman and instead making her character a 79 year old woman.

Yikes! This book did not work in our current circumstances. In the middle of the coronavirus epidemic where the elderly are the most vulnerable, it really was hard to read a story about a killer in a nursing home. So this was not at all the fault of the author, it was just really bad timing on my part. I thought the book was well written and I will definitely read something from this author in the future.