This had me intrigued from the outset as I wasn’t quite sure how things were going to turn out.

Not my favourite Kerry Wilkinson book but still enjoyable.

3.5 stars

#Close to You #NetGalley

Another hit from bestselling author, Kerry Wilkinson!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Close to You is an atmospheric and suspenseful page turner that has an original, intriguing plot. Health club owner, Morgan Persephone just discovered a recent photo of her missing husband. Her husband, David, has been missing for two years. Is Morgan losing her mind or did she really see a picture of David?? Morgan knows he can’t be alive because she killed him two years ago!!!

As the story unravels, Morgan confides in no one, but begins to question her own sanity. The trail she follows in search of the truth is twisty with unreliable characters. As the reader turns the pages, more questions than answers are found until eventuality the astonishing ending will be revealed! I recommend this book to all who love a roller coaster of a read!

Many thanks to Kerry Wilkinson, the publisher Bookouture, and to NetGalley for my advanced reader’s copy of Close to You. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Kerry Wilkinson always has the psychological thriller ingredients in exactly the right amounts and right order and the formula never fails. Told from Morgans point of view we know right away she killed her husband so why is he still alive and well? What’s the truth and where are the lies?

Read this in one sitting. Tense, fast paced and kept me guessing throughout. How could someone who is dead suddenly appear again?
It certainly rattles personal trainer and gym owner Morgan Persephone as she tries to work out if suddenly her deepest, darkest secret it about to be revealed. Her husband went missing 2 years ago. Has David really returned?
The story switches between the past and the present. I loved the categories of the chapters, the author having divided them in to 'why', 'how' and 'now' sections.
Clearly someone who is dead cannot be alive but the facts as they present themselves as the story unfolds is certainly puzzling.
Great cast of characters and the sort of plot that reels you in, wraps you up and will not let you know until the last page is turned.
Will definitely look out for and devour anything else Kerry Wilkinson has written.

*2.5 stars

I was a little disappointed with this story. Usually I'm giving 4/5 starts to Kerry's books but this one just fell flat to me. Don't get me wrong. The story moves along at a good pace and it had a good plot, but I don't think there was enough suspense to really hold my interest. I didn't really care for the main character, I thought her personality was bland. She just bored me. The ending wasn't very good. I could see it coming and a part me can see why that happened but at the same time, nothing really exciting or miserable really occurred throughout the book. I count Kerry as one of my favorite authors but this is my least favorite by him.


*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thriller with a difference,lots of twists ,didn't see the end coming. Characters are not very likeable but very believable.

Another book from Kerry that doesn’t disappoint. Kerry will take a small aspect of his life that’s personal to him and he’ll turn that in to another great book with characters who come alive on the page.

Imagine viewing a picture and noticing a familiar face in the background, except someone you know it can’t be - how is it possible? Follow Morgan through her bizarre twist of events to find out how he ended up in the photo.

Rating 4 stars
*somewhat of a spoiler*
I am unsure of how to feel about this book. I definitely liked it more than I didn't like it. I absolutely loved LOVED the writing style, it was so clear and it flowed really nicely. I liked the 2 tenses, switching between 'The now' and 'The why'; it really helped to build the suspense up. The characters were also pretty solid. I didn't want to stop reading it until I found out what happened, it had me hooked. The pretence of the story is so clever, and quite original too.

Now the only thing that lets it down for me is the ending. Since the build up was so big, I guess I was just expecting it to be something more exciting then a scorned lover seeking revenge. It also felt like it ended quite suddenly. The only thing I liked about the ending is that is ended on a little bit of a cliffhanger... whether its for the reader to decide or perhaps a sequel, who knows but it was a nice little touch.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review!

★★★ 3.5 stars

I always thoroughly enjoy reading Kerry Wilkinson's standalone thrillers and he never fails to disappoint! This one drew me in with its premise.

A friend snaps a photo of Morgan at an awards night. When looking at the photos later, Morgan is shocked to see her ex-husband hidden in the background of a group shot. Primarily because she knows she killed him. And then things start to go a little helter-skelter.

Morgan Persephone (per-sef-oh-knee and not rhyming with telephone) is a personal trainer with a life seemingly going nowhere. She appears successful on the outside but inside her life is riddled with turmoil. Two years ago her husband David disappeared...but Morgan knows differently, because she killed him. Now she is in a relationship with Andy, seemingly happy, and about to move in with him. And yet, just a few days before the move she has yet to pack anything. To me, her heart just didn't seem to be in it. Or was it she was just distracted?

After the awards ceremony, Morgan had booked a room to stay the night but found she couldn't sleep....with thoughts of David filling her mind after seeing him in that photograph. So she decides to make the two hour drive home instead, arriving around 5am. As soon as she walked in she knew someone had been in her home. Things seemed out of place. Her Tigger jar David had bought her for £5 that always sat on the bench was now missing. Why that jar? Only she and David knew of its significance.

The next morning when she wakes, she discovers her car is missing. So she does what anyone would do in this situation - she calls the police to report it stolen. But then that afternoon when the police arrive at her flat, they are not there to take a statement regarding her stolen car; they are there to question her in regards to a road accident where an elderly pedestrian was critically injured...with her car, which was left abandoned at the scene. The police don't entirely believe her story, finding her claims of being stolen somewhat convenient. But Morgan knows she wasn't driving...so who was?

Things begin to unravel for Morgan and yet she confides in no one. Not even her lifelong friend Jane, whom she has known since primary school. Jane knows most of her secrets...but not this one. When David disappeared two years ago everyone believed it to be the case as he wasn't exactly reliable. Only Morgan knows the truth. So she was hardly going to confide in anyone her confusion and panic at the possibility of his return!

CLOSE TO YOU is told entirely from Morgan's perspective over two timelines, The Now and The Why. The story builds slowly, creating a tension that was palpable for a good portion of the book, but petered out into an anti-climax by the end. I am not saying that this is a bad book, as it isn't entirely as I did enjoy it for the most part, but it's not one of Kerry's best...largely because I could not connect with its main character.

The picture painted of David throughout the "why" chapters highlights him as such an unappealing person I fail to see what Morgan ever saw in him! Although I can't say that I liked Morgan either, who seemed more robotic in character with no real affection for anyone. This made her difficult to relate to...but not only that, I was also left wondering could anyone be so stupid? And trust me, David was just one of her many stupid decisions. But then, throughout the whole story, I wondered exactly why was she even with Andy she hardly seemed connected to him. The woman was an island I just failed to understand.

Aside from the unreliable characters, CLOSE TO YOU is an incredibly thrilling read which has the reader asking questions throughout. Did Morgan really kill David? Is he really dead? Is it someone else masquerading as David? And if so, why?

CLOSE TO YOU is a cleverly spun tale that will certainly keep readers on their toes and racing through the pages. It is a slow burn, so have patience as all will be revealed. It will certainly keep readers guessing. I only started putting the pieces together as it neared the end as I had no idea who was behind it all. But then the ending was not what I expected and while it failed to satisfy me it still seemed to be a fitting conclusion.

I must add that I love Kerry's humour and wit peppered throughout the pages that had me laughing...particularly those regarding little Norah's hilarious use of the English language and the comparisons made to it. Tree, duck, cow, the 45th President of the United States...all had me laughing till I cried.

Despite this not being my favourite of Kerry's books, nothing will stop me looking forward to more standalone thrillers in the near future!

I would like to thank #KerryWilkinson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #CloseToYou in exchange for an honest review.

Morgan's life is good. Her business as a personal trainer is doing well, she is about to move in with her boyfriend, Andy & has just won an industry award. When looking at the pictures her friend has taken she is shocked to see a face in the background- the face of David, her missing husband! However, she knows it can't be him, after all she killed him two years ago!

Unable to sleep in the hotel she decides to go home. She is slightly puzzled when she can't find the bowl where she keeps her keys but she is shocked when she finds her car missing. No sooner has she reported it that the police are at her door- her car has been involved in a hit & run. Morgan's good life seems to be unravelling. Told from Morgan's present & her past, her secret is gradually revealed to the reader.

It took me a while to get into this. I wasn't very taken with Morgan although I fully understood why she wanted to murder her husband! Gradually though I was reeled in- was David really dead? If so who was behind these events?

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is a really difficult review to write, I thought it was an extremely well written and well plotted book. It kept me engaged throughout. Morgan was not particularly likeable, however, I enjoy an unlikeable character and I was desperate to know who was out to get her and had her husband really come back from the dead! I loved how the chapters from the past were titled “Why” – I thought this was very clever. There was a clever twist which I only just worked out as it was happening. So why is this such a difficult book to review? Despite all of the above and the level of suspense created, I felt that there was something, and I cannot put my finger on what it might be, lacking for me. I didn’t feel as engaged with the story as I’d have liked and I’m going to put this down to my frame of mind when I was reading it. I initially thought three stars for this but given the pluses I’ve mentioned above and my own frame of mind, I shall round this up to four and I’d most definitely want to read some of this author’s work again.

I am actually unsure of how i feel about this book. I am going to give it 4 stars for the following reasons, It was well written, The characters were well thought out and the suspense/drive to keep me reading was there throughout. However, after finishing the book i found the plot to be lacking a bit, im not even sure if the "bad guy" was all that bad. There was a definite plot twist that you couldnt really see coming because the reasoning was not hinted at much in the book. I wasnt crazy about the end it felt fairly anti -climactic. But the book held my attention until the end and throughout you do really want to find out what happened. Great build up but the revelations were almost mundane.
Regardless i enjoyed the story all the way up till the end and i really enjoyed the characters so overall i do recommend this book.

This is a great psychological thriller from an author whose work just gets better and better. I loved the flashbacks showing how manipulative and controlling David became as his relationship with Morgan progressed. I had no idea who was messing with Morgan's mind however and was stunned when I finally read that far. This really is a compelling page turner of a book.

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

Here's an author that surprises me every time..........His Books are just brilliantly written. So when Close to You by Kerry Wilkinson came out I had to find a quiet corner and open my Kindle! WoW..........I was not disappointed!
What a fantastic book this was especially as it was a new stand-alone book.

You will find this book written that alternates between the past and the present. It's an easy read with lots of twists and turns with an OMG ending to "Close to you"

Morgan is a personal trainer at her local gym, she has been asked to attend an awards dinner as she has been nominated for a big award. Morgan has asked her close friend Jane to go with her, everything is fine especially as she has won the main award, until her friend shows her some photo's she has taken of the advent.
To Morgan's surprise she see's an old face in the photo's of her ex husband David who is in one of the photo's picture, he vanished two years ago no one knows where he went. But, Morgan knows different!

How can that be............as Morgan is hiding a big secret of where David is.

What is the big secret Morgan is hiding?

Morgan has a scar on her neck.........how did she get that scar?

Is Morgan safe?

Are her close friends safe around her?......

Only You can find out of you read this brilliant book........I just loved it and read it in two sittings.

I highly recommend Close to You by Kerry Wilkinson and all his other books he has written. He is a wonderful author that will have you Hook reading his books within the first few pages!!!

Big Thank You to Netgalley, the author Kerry Wilkinson and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

EXCERPT: 'You can tell me anything...'

This is the moment when I can either let it out, or I'm going to have to hold on to it. Even with that, there is truth within truth. If I tell her that I think David was in the back of her photo from the hotel, then do I leave it at that? Do I say that David's dead? That I killed him? It's the problem with lying. It's like chocolate digestives with a cup of tea: one is never enough.


ABOUT THIS BOOK: I pinch the screen to zoom until I’m staring at the face of a ghost. A man with very short hair, staring directly at the camera with piercing brown eyes.

He is as he was when I last saw him: wrinkles around the corners of the eyes and a knowing smirk. That’s the expression I see when I can’t sleep.

My body tenses. It can’t be him. It’s not my ex-husband. It’s not David.

I know that better than anyone because he didn’t walk out on me.

He didn’t disappear two years ago and he’s not a missing person.

I know that for a fact because I’m the one who killed him.

MY THOUGHTS: There were things I liked about this book, and things I didn't.

It was an interesting premise....I killed my husband, but now he's back. I liked it. It has great possibilities. I admit I hadn't thought of the possibility that Kerry Wilkinson chose, but I did cotton on to it reasonably early in the book. There are a couple of little tells if you watch for them.

The book is told entirely from the view of Morgan (which makes a nice change), over two timelines, NOW and WHY. I can't say that I liked Morgan, who seems to have no real affection for anyone, but I liked David even less. Interesting characters. In fact, the book is full of interesting characters, even if they are mostly unlikeable.

However, I just didn't feel the tension, the suspense that I was expecting from this writer. I love his Jane Daniels series, and for me, this just didn't measure up to his usual standard.

I am not saying this is a bad book, because it isn't. It was an interesting read, but not a particularly gripping one. 3.5 stars

THE AUTHOR: Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018.

As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy - a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults - a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry has spent far too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel'.

When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Close to You by Kerry Wilkinson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

Morgan, a successful personal trainer is attending an awards evening. She wins her category mainly she suspects, because of a sympathy vote. Two years earlier her husband had disappeared but she had since focused on her career and this was proof that she had come a long way in that time. In one of the photographs of the evening she spots her husband, David lurking in the background. Her shock is profound. It can’t be him. It really can’t, because she knows she killed him. As the story develops at a pace with Morgan’s life beginning to spiral out of control. Strange and frightening things begin to happen which cause Morgan to doubt that her husband is indeed dead. The book alternates between events of around two years ago and the present time and as the shocking truth emerges, the reader questions just who is evil? Another great stand alone book by Kerry Wilkinson.

A great read, very well plotted and certainly keeps you guessing. A little slow in places, which dials down the tension a little. Good premise though, and I was delighted to find his explanation of where the idea for the plot came from. Very interesting main character.

Morgan Persephone is a successful fitness trainer. Three years ago, her husband, David, disappeared. So, imagine her surprise when she thinks she spots him in the background of a photograph taken at an awards banquet. It’s especially surprising (and a bit unnerving as well) since Morgan knows he’s dead. Because she killed him.

From there the story almost seamlessly moves from past to present. As the reader begins to understand the backstory, which reveals Morgan’s relationship with her husband, the plot becomes more sinister and suspenseful.

Close to you is a twisty, intriguing, and fast-paced book that captured my attention from the first page. That doesn’t happen very often. I have just one question. How in the world have I missed reading this author’s books? It’s an oversight I intend to rectify as soon as possible. Thank you, Ms Wilkinson, for creating such an entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I mean, come on, who could resist that synopsis?! I certainly couldn’t, and while this may have been my first Kerry Wilkinson book I am sure it will not be my last.

The intriguing premise of Close to You is sustained throughout this gripping book, with its very effective dual timeline structure that gradually gives you the background to this absorbing mystery.

The book has a ballsy lead character in Morgan, and some really funny, laugh out loud, flashes of humour in her very readable narration.

There is plenty of action in its twisting plot and also moments of genuine breath-holding, stomach-churning tension, particularly in the final quarter, up to its brilliant conclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling, fast-paced and satisfying mystery thriller and will definitely be checking out more of Kerry Wilkinson’s work.

Huge thanks to Bookouture for my copy of Close to You and my spot on the blog tour.

A good, fast paced mystery about Morgan, who after winning an award is looking through the evening's pictures when she sees her husband in the background of one. This can't be possible however, she's killed him and dumped his body. Was he not dead or is someone making her think that he's still alive. Kept my attention from beginning to end.