Jessica Moore did it again. I would say that I though this was pretty good. Not my favorite of her books but I did like it and would recommend to others. The book was a pretty quick read, it had a good character development and plot.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I can’t wait to read more by her.
I love the suspense, the agony and strength from the main character and how the author brought the character to life.
This is a must read.

The Keeper by Jessica Moor was absolutely fantastic. I finished reading it awhile ago and it has stuck with me. Not only is it a well-crafted mystery, but it’s an important examination of domestic violence from the inside out.

I haven’t encountered a mystery novel crafted quite like this one before. We start out knowing Katie’s dead and are simultaneously learning about the case as it unfolds and hearing about Katie’s final months from her perspective, basically in diary form. We know from the get-go who her killer most likely is, and I think this is intentional. Yet, we don’t know the hows or whys of it all. Those slowly develop over the course of the book.

Moor does an incredible job of showing the often slow and insidious nature of domestic violence. Katie is just your average young woman, with friends and a boring job and a mom who loves her. Then she meets a guy, and he seems sweet if a little run-of-the-mill. She’s not super into him but he’s attentive and caring and who wouldn’t be attracted to that? As the relationship develops, we start to see red flags, and Katie sees them too, but they’re small and irregular and she thinks maybe she’s overreacting. We see her slowly lose her sense of self and self-worth, and her ability to trust herself and her own instincts as the abuse becomes more frequent and pronounced.

When she finds her way to a domestic violence shelter, it’s the chance for a fresh start, and we get to meet the women she interacted with there, women who come from all different backgrounds and ethnicities, whose stories are all unique, except for the common thread of violence and abuse. Moor does a good job of showing the many forms abuse can take, and the varied reactions victims have to it, as well as how difficult it is to seek and find help, and to ever truly be safe, let alone feel safe.

This book is more than just a great mystery; it’s a peek behind the curtain into what so many individuals have faced and are facing, and just how easy it is for the justice system to not only fail them, but to actively acerbate the problem.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of The Keeper in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting plot revolving around domestic abuse that never gets too bogged down in details about the horrible abuse that the characters face. They have their privacy and I'm glad that the author didn't use a heavy hand describing their situations to make the novel "edgy". That being said, I wish I knew a little more of their stories as they seemed more interesting than the main character, Katie.

The twist at the end wasn't out of left field as it's hinted at for the last couple of chapters, but it's still fun, if anything can be fun in a book about domestic violence.

I wanted to like this novel more than I did. I feel like I've let Team XX down.

Overall verdict for our small budget library: "We can order it for you from another library."

This debut author has a beautifully written and power police investigation thriller. Trigger warning for anyone who who is sensitive to domestic abuse/violence.

This was a really fun read. Is that weird to say? The premise drew me in and the plot and writing had me hooked. This had my mind reeling and second guessing as I read. It was certainly addictive and I didn’t want to put it down. I enjoyed the different perspectives that weaved the story and provided the turns that made this so addictive.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a new author for me. The book was told in two parts, then and now. I enjoyed the “then” parts better. The story line of these parts really exposed a relationship and characters. I would read another by this author!

This reads more like a domestic drama than a thriller. Set in two time periods then and now. A hard hitting read about all forms of abuse. Set mostly in a women's refuge and most of this book is given over to the women's own personal experiences which brought them to the safety of the refuge. In the meantime a body of a young woman is found floating in the local river suicide or Murder? The body is Katie Shaw an employee of the refuge. Why do the women at the refuge think that Katie was murdered. As I said before a hard hitting read and admire this author and the way she treated this subject matter. A powerful and emotive read which every woman should read as a warning.
Thanks to Penguin Books UK and Netgalley for the ARC

The Keeper by Jessica Moor sounded really good the moment I laid eyes on it. It sounded mysterious and like a detective story I would usually read. I would like to say it held up to my expectations, but it fell short.

Let me start by saying the characters seemed interesting and even the plot line sounded like it could be great, but the story telling was a bit off for me. It jumped between current day detectives investigating the crime and times before Katie was found dead.

The way the story jumped not only back and forth, but also jumped between characters was really confusing. I found myself struggling to maintain the story line and having to readjust where my mind was and where it all fit seemed to take more out of me than normal. The flow of the story was off. Full disclosure: I didn’t end up finishing this book. I couldn’t bring myself to continue about 40% in. I had no clue what was going on. I couldn’t keep track of the stories it was jumping between and I needed more interest to continue.

With that said, I would always encourage everyone to read a book for themselves because you may like it even though I did not.

I read this as I was participating in organizing a donation drive for our local domestic violence shelters, so it felt like perfect timing. Great story. It jumps back and forth in time with "then" and "now" sections, which keeps things moving at a pretty good pace. While there are some twists, it isn't overdone for shock value. You've got a pretty good idea of what probably happened the whole time, but the details and fun twists keep it interesting. While the ladies in the shelter are given good time, some of the other characters suffer as underdeveloped and stereotypical., I'd love to have seen a deeper side of the lead detective and Val, the shelter manager.

I can't believe this is a debut novel. No spoilers - but the END - Whoa! I did not see that coming at all. Katie is found dead of apparent suicide, but it is an open investigation that leads to so much more. The novel explores abuse deeply and personally and is set in 2 time periods - Then and Now. I don't want to give away anything, it's truly a must read for dramatic fiction/mystery thriller fans. Thank you so so much for the ARC. This is one of my 2020 faves thus far!

I really liked this book! It is suspenseful and tense. It's a story about a woman who is believed to have committed suicide. It switches from past and present time frames and different points of views. I would definitely recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A superbly taut mystery that is centered around a domestic violence shelter in England. The emotional drama played out throughout the novel is suspenseful and masterfully crafted. Definitely a must read!

When Katie Straw's body is pulled from the waters of the local suicide spot, the police assume it's just another female suicide. As they talk to the residents at the domestic violence shelter and soon find out that she's not who she claimed to be, they are forced to look further into her death. Katie's story is told from her past perspective but tying the story together fell a little short for me.

After Katie Straw is found dead in a local spot where several people have taken their life, police are ready to believe it’s another open-and-shut case of suicide. But the women at the domestic violence shelter where Katie worked know there’s more to the story. Their suspicions are confirmed when detectives uncover evidence that proves Katie isn’t who she seemed to be. This debut thriller is both a riveting mystery and an incisive examination of the cycles of violence against women and the social structures that perpetuate them.

I was fascinated with the backstories of each of the characters of this intriguing thriller centering around a domestic abuse center, and wanted to fall in love with the entire package, but I found the back-and-forth timeline slightly off-balance, and by the time of the reveal, I felt more apathy than empathy for many of the characters who deserved my full attention. To be fair to the book, the author, and the publisher, I read this as the COVID-19 pandemic erupted and exploded, and there's the distinct possibility that the story wasn't enough to pull me away from the reality of what we're living through. The writing is top-notch, and I suspect that - had the timing been different - this book would have been a more satisfying read for me; as it was, I was far too impatient to give it the attention it deserved. Three and a half stars.

I really enjoyed this book by Jessica Moor.

The book tells the story of Katie Straw, recently found dead in a canal. Was it suicide or murder. The book travels back and forth in time and from character: the police, Katie, and the women she worked with at a shelter, and to me, this was an interesting creative choice.

I really was surprised at the story, and enjoyed the talented, realistic writing from Moor.

This book was interesting and the plot moved quickly and had great surprises.

This book was such a page-turner that it completely blocked out my anxiety about impending international disaster, so I think that speaks well to its merits. There are a lot of thrillers about abusive men who stalk and terrorize their partners, but this one is especially smart in its exploration of the psychology of manipulation and control. A suspenseful, riveting read, and a welcome distraction from current events.

With thanks to Penguin & Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a really hard book for me to get through. I love thrillers, but this just seemed more dramatic than thrilling.

And trigger warning- there is a lot domestic violence.

I also felt like this dragged. I expected it to be a short, fast read, and it took forever.

I suspect that readers will fall into two categories- loved it or lukewarm about it, and I’m in the latter category.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. I prefer literary thrillers to over the top, twisty thrillers as they tend to be more realistic. Unfortunately I found this book to be so boring, reading it became a chore. I stopped around 30%. I didn’t like the characters and struggled to keep the characters in the “now” chapters straight.