Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Woman at No. 13
This was not a favorite of mine, I did finish the book. I found it really hard to get into, characters were introduced too quickly, all at once and I found it really hard to remember who was who. There seemed to be many story lines running through this novel and the plot made sense but the writing style did not keep me interested. It just wasn't for me.
Basically the story is about a murder of a young woman, Alice, who was pregnant and had an abortion, all eyes very quickly look to the local doctor as the town thinks she is responsible for advising Alice on how to terminate her pregnancy. The local town folk take the law into their own hands.

I already knew this was going to be a thrill just based off of the title. It definitely was and wow was it filled with suspense... the ending really did throw me for a loop! Absolutely crazy and I enjoyed every page.

So, this is a book that doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a murder mystery? Or is it a statement about women's rights and LGBTQ issues? It tries to be both, but unfortunately, is only marginally successful at each.

Truthfully, the murder seems to take a backdoor in a lot of the book. And while I wanted our characters to find themselves and find their happy, I didn't care all that much about any of them.

The reason behind everything was kind of obvious, though the 'who' wasn't clear for much of the book and was kind of a letdown once revealed.

I finished it, but I didn't really like it all that much.

*ARC via Publisher

I enjoyed the setting of the small community in rural Ireland and I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. There were some interesting themes in the book and whilst not a particularly fast paced mystery it was in keeping with the setting in which it took place.

The Woman and No 13, thank you to the publishers for allowing me to review this book.
I struggled from the start. It didn't grip me and I found I struggled to stay with the flow once I picked up where I left off. I got a bit confused with the masses of dialogue during the police interviews and reading in the first person I thought at times I was reading in the voice of Kate but realised it was the voice of Jannis. It swung around a bit too much and I found it hard to follow the plot. I am still confused as to Jannis sexuality. The ending I felt whilst unexpected didn't quite fit and felt like a totally separate side story we hadn't been given to read. Father Daniel baffled me, I thought I liked him but then started to dislike it for no real reason.
This is first book I have read by CK Williams and whilst I found the plot confusing, it was written well. I would read another of their books to allow myself to compare and avoid falling into the trap of thinking all their books would be similar.

Small villages are always great for mystery. You think everyone knows everyones business, that nothing is unseen but if you re not in the in crowd' then sometimes you need to be a little more careful, especially if you are a little different. When Kate needs help clearing her name she relies on a friend to help, the only one she can trust. Can Jannis help her whilst navigating the suprises that pop out along the way?
This book is twisty and almost a little frustrating when people dont believe Kate isnt the guilty one.

First of all I did not like the title as it has nothing to do with the book. Apparently this book was titled Little Whispers which seemed much more suited to the story. The main character Kate O'Leary was not just 'the woman at' she was a doctor and I feel that the title doesn't do her justice.
I do love the Irish setting, the small town suspicious minds that are wary of the new doctor in town. I like Kate's friendship with Jannis but not sure if their personal relationship - or lack of - has been spoken about between themselves or just that the reader isn't sure.
I felt that the whole vigilante thing was a bit over the top, would the townspeople really be allowed to run about with guns? The story got a bit repetitious at times and seemed somewhat surreal but I enjoyed the story on the whole although it did get a bit confusing towards the end.

A extremely different and puzzling story. I can’t say I hated it. Though I do have to say it wasn’t a favorite read for me.
I guess my feelings would be it just wasn’t a plot/storyline I could get into. I encourage you to read this book and make up your own mind about it. It could just be your “cup of tea.”
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

An exceptionally good thriller, perhaps "Irish Noir" would be a good description.
Set in a small village in Northern Island the atmosphere is claustrophobic and the tension is constantly present..
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and finished it in two days.
The local doctor has been arrested for the murder of a teenage girl and seeks support from an old friend from Germany. Together they try to find the true perpetrator and in doing so encounter the traditional beliefs and values of the Villagers some of whom are republican sympahisers and others are unionists. The plot unfolds at a good pace to reach an inevitable violent ending.
This is one of the gems of my reading year.

Still wondering why the book has this title. I found it hard to get into. It did become more interesting near the end but the "topic" of the book was not to my taste at all. Perhaps if you live in Ireland it has more relevance.

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

Well this was completely different and I did quite enjoy it. There were a lot of twists and turns and I wasn't sure where it was going even the tidying up at the end threw me a bit.

I would recommend this book as a pleasant way of spending the afternoon you will definately get invested in it.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

After reading the book I read the reviews here on GR. I was actually a bit surprised with some of the comments but I do understand them.
Anyway, I gave the book a solid three stars. I liked the writing, with a very tense undertone, and the author did a very good job in describing the atmosphere in a somewhat backward little village. It may be that being from Europe myself (although sadly not from Ireland) I understand some background information a little better. It
I thought it a great idea of the writer to have these characters and their story set against this background. A female doctor who is not against abortion, two male characters that turn out to get very interested in each other, a group of older males who suddenly are remembered of a time they'd rather would forget...
I found the book an easy read with not very many surprises but as I said, a very tense undertone that made me want to read on.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for this review copy.

“The one who sins is the one who will die…”

Kate has been the GP for her small village, but when one of her patients is brutally murdered and all evidence points to her, Kate finds those of the community have already judged her guilty…and someone wants revenge…

When I read a blurb and get all excited for the story, it’s always such a let down when I don’t care for the cast of characters. Honestly, it was a real struggle to get through each page. Please don’t let my rating stop you from giving the book a go if the blurb caught your attention. While not my fav, it could be yours!



**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It should also be noted that I was granted a review copy of THE WOMAN AT NO. 13 rather than the original title of LOCAL WHISPERS. **

I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately, and this book didn't help.

First, the title of the book is really misleading. Is that important in the overall scheme of things? Probably not, but I kept thinking her address would come into the story somehow. Spoiler: it has no relevance whatsoever.

I didn't like the main character, Kate. Then again, maybe the main character was her friend/lawyer Jannis. It doesn't matter because I didn't like him either.

I would put this book down for a while. Then when I picked it back up, I would forget what happened and would have to look back.

This review makes it sound like a bad book and it wasn't. But it wasn't that good either. The story was interesting, but not engrossing. I see a lot of good reviews and I wonder what I am missing.

I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

I received an advance copy of The Woman at No. 13, by C.K. Williams. I could not finish this book. I did not like the language, the characters, or the plot.

Kate and Jannis met whilst backpacking in Australia. What started out as a date ended up becoming and enduring, deep, platonic friendship. They were always there for each other.

19 years laters and Kate, now a GP I a small village in NI, calls Jannis, an advertising executive, from the local police station and tells him she needs him.

Jannis flies to NI, and meets up with Kate at the police station where she is being questioned about the murder of one of her patients, a 17 year old girl, Alice. Due to some in incriminating evidence it’s seems she is the prime suspect. However, despite the police evidence she is allowed to go home with Jannis, and then the problems really begin!

This book started so well, and the premise was good, but it really lost its way on several fronts. The title is misleading, who is the woman at No. 13? no mention of that house anywhere. If it is Kate, then where are the other 12 houses as she lives several miles away from anyone else. The alternative title is a much better fit and makes far more sense.

Also, do we really need the constant mention of yew, moon, yew, snow, outside noises, yew, smart suits, yew and rowan? It spoils the flow of the story to have this repetition of fillers. A good editing would work wonders.

Kate was a reckless, opinionated character and Jannis so nice, I’m not sure they would have become such friends. And with her high morals and local standing I am surprised at the relationships she had with a couple of the other characters!!!

This was a book with such promise, easily a 4 star story but the editing let it down.

P.s. still looking for the Woman at No. 13 … ;)

Thank you NetGalley.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I found this one okay. Not fantastic, not bad. It won’t stick with me, it didn’t wow me. I didn’t hate it though.

Thank you to HarperCollins, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Woman at No. 13 by C.K. Williams is a twist-filled thriller starring LGBT characters that you won't be able to put down! The story is told from the perspective of Jannis, who flies to his friend Kate's at the drop of a dime after she calls him from jail. Kate's a doctor being accused of murdering one of her teenage patients. Did Kate do it? And if she didn't do it, who did? It's up to Jannis to solve the case.

Here is an exciting excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Kate’s voice is firm when she calls. “Can you come?”
It has been nineteen years since we met in an Australian hostel, and her voice still sounds exactly the same.
“Now?” I ask, voice raw with sleep, separated from her by roughly one thousand kilometres of landmass and ocean.
“I’m in police custody. A patient of mine was murdered yesterday.” Her voice breaks then. “She was still a child.”
I book myself onto the next flight to Belfast."

Overall, The Woman at No. 13 is an unputdownable thriller with plenty of twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the author put another twist in there. That made the book very fun to read. I did take off 1 star, because I thought from the synopsis that the book would be from Kate's perspective. Instead, she's more of a side character, and the narrator is Jannis. Jannis reminded me of Nick from The Great Gatsby talking about Daisy, and the characters had that same dynamic. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers, I recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this book. An okay read, but not my favourite.

What a crazy plot. I am a Canada born and raised girl and I was shocked at some of the levels of “normal” in this story. This book was sad at times, gruesome and twisted at others. This takes you down a dark gritty path and a descent into madness in a small town. Blame, and finger pointing turn into threats and violence, but is that finger pointed at the right person? This book has more layers than an onion and as you peel them back you reveal more shocking twists and turns