Rating: 5 icicle stars

Sharon Bolton’s latest book, “The Split” is a taut psychological thriller told in alternating timelines. It is a stellar book that kept me turning pages as quickly as I could. I kept second-guessing myself about what I thought was REALLY going on. It’s one of those kind of books that just when you think you have it figured out, a new wrinkle is thrown in that makes you re-think your premises. You know. The perfect kind of book.

Felicity Lloyd is on a scientific assignment at South Georgia Island. The island lies east of the Falkland Islands, and just north of Antarctica. It is a remote, cold and formidable environment. It is perfect for a person who is fleeing from their past. Felicity is well suited for this assignment since her area of expertise is geology, specifically glaciers. However, since receiving mail from Freddie stating that he is coming to visit her, her old terror has arisen full force. Will he find her at this end of the earth? Can she escape from him? What does he want?

The storylines alternate between Cambridge, England before the geologic expedition, and South Georgia during Felicity’s assignment. Felicity had some blackouts in Cambridge. She was found injured and dazed with no recollection of how she got that way. To clear her for the new assignment to South Georgia, she has to see a psychologist. That psychologist has to deem her mentally stable in order for her to leave for two years. Enter Dr. Joe Grant.

Dr. Grant has his own issues. He has just come back from medical leave. A homeless girl he was working with stabbed him in the abdomen. His police officer mother (one of my favorite characters in the book) is probably overly protective of him. But once a mother, always a mother in this case. Joe is under suspicion of murdering the girl. Her things were found by the river, but her body hasn’t been found. Then another young homeless woman is murdered, and Joe is being looked at for that murder too.

Felicity meets with Dr. Grant, but keeps herself on a tight rein. She starts out only telling him things that will paint her in a good light. However, over the weeks they see each other, strange things happen to Felicity. She gets the sense that she is being stalked. Is someone watching over her, inside her house? As her fears rise, she begins to share her background and current situation more honestly with Dr. Grant.

The alternating storylines keep the book interesting. There a multiple mysteries involved. Who is killing the homeless people in Cambridge? Why is Freddie coming out to see Felicity? Is Felicity not able to remember the strange goings-on, or is she lying? The story is resolved in a wonderfully action-packed manner. It’s a bit like a Clive Cussler adventure at the end. There is lots of action, but its believable action. The tension at the end is palpable. The story gains speed and gallops along at a quick clip to a thoroughly enjoyable resolution.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy mysteries, psychological thrillers, and outdoor adventures. This book manages to blend these three elements while maintaining clarity and pace. It was a fun romp, and a great pleasure to read this book. Sharon Bolton has done it once again!

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, St Martin’s Press; and the author, Sharon Bolton, for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mysteries can be tricky, especially if you read a lot of them. You'll come across a book with a super appealing blurb, only to start reading something that feels overly familiar and trite. Certain tropes are overused, and it takes a really good author to be able to revitalise them. Fortunately, that’s what Sharon Bolton does in The Split, putting a unique spin on a trope I often find tiresome and turning this into a book I'm really happy I didn't give up on.

Our heroine Felicity is in her late twenties, and she lives a pretty solitary life, concentrating mostly on her career. She studies the formation of glaciers, something most people wouldn't find overly captivating, but Felicity takes comfort in the rugged beauty of some of the world's most isolated places. The fact that she doesn't have to deal with many people in her line of work is an added bonus, and something that takes on an added layer of significance as the story progresses.

When the book opens, Felicity is heaving a sigh of relief that the last boat of the season has just docked on the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. She's been on assignment there for the past several months, and she's been living in fear that her ex-husband Freddie, recently freed from prison, will somehow manage to track her down. Now though, with the island pretty much closed to visitors for the winter, she doesn't have to worry quite so much. Or does she?

Initially, the reader isn't sure why Felicity is so afraid of Freddie, and in a strange way, you're not always sure Felicity knows the reason behind her fear either. Be patient though, because the story does go back in time, providing you with all the insight you'll need to understand this complex situation.

Nine months earlier, Felicity is reluctantly beginning a series of counseling sessions with Joe Grant, a local therapist. Felicity is desperate to secure a position on South Georgia, thinking the remote locale is just what she needs to help her cope with the emotional distress she's been dealing with, but her superiors want her to get some counseling first. It seems she's been experiencing some blackouts, and she's also convinced someone is stalking her.

Joe, who has just started working again after taking time off after a traumatic incident involving one of his patients, is immediately intrigued by Felicity. He senses she's not being completely honest with him about her symptoms, but hopes she'll open up more as their sessions continue. He finds himself unable to stop thinking about her between sessions, and it isn't long before certain people in his life begin questioning Joe's ability to treat her objectively.

Over the next couple of sessions, it becomes clear to Joe that Felicity is seriously ill. She has huge gaps in her memory, and those gaps happen to correspond to a series of suspicious murders that have taken place around the city. And then, just as Joe begins to think he's on the verge of breaking through Felicity's walls, she reveals that she's married, though she has no clear memories of her husband. She just knows she's terribly frightened of him, and she's determined to spend the next several months on South Georgia, where she's sure he'll never find her.

The story is pretty evenly split between the perspectives of Joe and Felicity, but we're treated to some brief glimpses into the minds of supporting characters as well. At first, I wondered what these seemingly random people would be able to add to the story, but as things progressed, I realized they offered some insights it would be hard to obtain in any other way.

All of this feels kind of confusing, right? Well, that's just the way the author intended it. This is a complicated story with several different plotlines going on at once, and you'll have to do your best to take the confusion in stride until you reach the last quarter of the book. If you're able to hang in there, all your questions will be answered, and you'll be in for a wonderfully chilling surprise.

The novel's setting is one of the best things about it. I read a lot of books set in places like New York or London, but this is the first book I've read set on South Georgia. It's desolate and dangerous, the perfect stage for the terrifying story Ms. Bolton has concocted. I could practically feel the extreme cold as I read, even though I was safely tucked up in my warm bed. That's honestly how evocative her writing is.

As I said above, parts of The Split feel unoriginal, and I did consider putting the book aside a time or two, but as I continued reading, I realized I had no real idea where the story was going. No matter how many times I convinced myself I knew exactly what was going on, something would inevitably happen to blow my theory right out of the water. I love books that are able to keep me guessing right up until the end, and for the most part, that's what this one did.

This isn't a book that will reach out and grab you as soon as you pick it up. Lots of things don't make sense at first, and certain aspects of the plot felt a little too convenient for my liking. Still, if you're able to get past the slow and confusing start, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what the story has to offer.

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This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed this twisty thriller. Some of the twists I saw coming and some were quite a surprise. It was interesting to have some of the story take place on an Antarctic Island. The homeless element was also a great part of the plot. The book was fast paced with interesting characters and you get swept up with Felicity and her life. This is a suspenseful story that I would definitely recommend.

Escapism at its best. Tense and suspenful it will take you far away from everything that's going on around you. A strong plot with three dimensional characters. Pick up this must read if you enjoy thrillers with plenty of twists and turns to keep you glued in your chair. Happy reading!

It wasn’t my favorite but kept my attention through out. I thought it was well written but it just didn’t vibe with me like I thought it would. Maybe it’s because it was a bit slow at times? The plot twists were entertaining enough especially towards the end. I figured out some but the one in particular really surprised me. I especially liked the setting of South Georgia island and found it very atmospheric! I’m definitely interested in reading more from Sharon Bolton in the future. ⠀

I did not see the ending of this book coming. Told through multiple view points, including through the eyes of her therapist, The Split is the story of how trauma can control the human mind.
We start our story at the Antarctic Island of South Georgia. Felicity Lloyd is a Glaciologist who is still on the run even in one of the most remote places on the planet. When her ex-husband Freddie arrives to the island on the last tour of the season, Felicity sets out into the wilderness to avoid him. We also meet Bamber, who is somehow off the radar of any other person on the island but is also dedicated to protecting Felicity from Freddie.
We then jump back to the previous year in Cambridge, England. Felicity is a rising star in the Glacier world but after being mugged she suffers from short term amnesia. Mandated to get therapy, her new therapist Joe is drawn to Felicity in a very unconventional way. She's his first patient since coming back to work after being stabbed by one of his homeless patients. He's shaken up but is still dedicated to helping the homeless population by just being available for them to talk. Meanwhile, his mother, the local police chief, is investigating a string of murders against the homeless population and warns Joe to be careful. It's here where we met Shane. A somewhat ghost, who is committed to watching over the homeless, but is he really so harmless?
There is so much that goes down in this book but I loved that Bolton made sure to answer all our questions. Questions like, 'why does Felicity have huge chunks of time missing', 'who is Freddie', 'why is he after Felicity', 'why doesn't Felicity remember being married', and so many other questions!
This book is full of surprises and is an addictive read. I binged it in a day and with all the multiple POVs, I kept needing to know more. If you have hard time with jumping from POV to POV or have a hard time juggling more than 3 POVs this book may be hard for you to stomach. However, I promise it all comes together at the end and you will be blown away by the finale! ★★★★ for the Split!


I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on The Split. Huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my advanced copy. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

The novel begins on remote South Georgia Island where Felicity Lloyd, a glaciologist, goes into hiding when a man named Freddie, recently released from prison, arrives on the last cruise ship of the season. Then the novel flashes back to Cambridge nine months earlier. Prior to her departure for South Georgia, Felicity attends therapy sessions with Dr. Joe Grant and it soon becomes obvious that she has mental health issues.

My issue with the book is that it is so easy to figure out what is happening with Felicity. The title itself is a giveaway and then the repeated references to recurring episodes of amnesia make a diagnosis so easy for anyone with even a limited knowledge of psychology and for any experienced reader of psychological thrillers. Felicity is terrified of Freddie, but a careful reading of the initial chapters focusing on him make it obvious that he is not the person Felicity thinks he is.

Throughout the book, the reader is manipulated. It is understandable that a writer may choose to be vague in order to create suspense, but it is very annoying when there’s a big information dump towards the end. The police in Cambridge make soooooo many discoveries at a very convenient time. They seem so inept (as to presume someone is dead after being missing for only four months), but then their discoveries pile up?

I could not connect with Felicity. She comes across as so tepid that it is difficult to understand why people are attracted to her. In many ways, she is chilly - like the environment in which she chooses to work. A more problematic character, however, is Joe. He is incompetent: he has difficulty diagnosing Felicity when there’s really no secret to the nature of her illness. He knows Felicity has major mental health issues but he does nothing to forestall her going to South Georgia? He breaks so many ethics rules when it comes to confidentiality and he certainly doesn’t understand doctor/patient boundaries. He himself thinks, “Three times now, he has allowed himself to be compromised by vulnerable and – might as well face it – attractive young women. His judgement has been seriously at fault.” No kidding! He, like Felicity, is such a temptation to the opposite sex?

After all that has happened, Felicity is allowed to stay at South Georgia. The only excuse given is that she cannot be forced to seek treatment? What about the incidents with Bamber in Part I? Bamber cuts a man from a cruise ship and “She needs the blood”? The reader is supposed to forget about the attack and this behaviour? All is not well!

The short chapters make this an easy, quick read, but I found it less suspenseful than a book described as a psychological thriller should be. It is predictable, and its manipulation of the reader is offensive.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

How far would you go to get what you wanted? Would you trek to the end of the Earth?

This was my third novel by Sharon Bolton and I really enjoyed it! One of my favorite aspects of the book was the setting in Antarctica. That was such a cool and fresh take on the psychological/domestic thriller and really makes it stand apart. I also loved the writing style and how Bolton twists and interweaves information. The Split was entertaining and it constantly kept my mental wheels spinning. The wide range of characters kept the story interesting and made the plot move fast. I thought I had this game of hide and seek figured out, but then the story twisted and had me second guessing myself. While I did figure a few things out before the reveal, there was a lot that came as a complete shock.

I think thriller fans looking for something fresh and fans of Peter Swanson will enjoy this one!

Thank you Minotaur for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5/5 stars!

South Georgia is a remote Antarctic island home to a handful of scientists and a tourist location for only the most adventurous. Felicity Lloyd is one of the resident scientists occupying this island while working on her glacier research. Felicity was more than happy to leave behind her city life in Cambridge and move to South Georgia. She has a past she doesn’t like to speak about, but it seems it might be catching up with her. As the last tourist boat of the season comes in, Felicity fears her ex-husband may be aboard. Why does she fear him? Why has he tracked her down?

Sharon Bolton has become an auto-buy author for me over the years after loving DEAD WOMAN WALKING and THE CRAFTSMAN. As with Bolton’s previous works, I found yet again she set the stage for a creepy, atmospheric, and suspenseful read within the pages of THE SPLIT.

Bolton drops the reader into Felicity’s life in present day on South Georgia island where we find her preparing to go on the run on one of the most remote islands in the world. It appears her ex-husband has tracked her down. Details are extremely sparse, but the reader knows there is reason to be fearful of this man. Instead of keeping with this timeline, Bolton drives the story back in time after the first handful of chapters. The reader is taken back to the months leading up to Felicity’s decision to move to South Georgia in order to give us a look into her past. I loved this transition in time and getting to know Felicity more intimately.

Not only does Bolton smartly take the reader through time with the different sections of this book, but she also includes alternating narratives to give the reader a full and complete picture of Felicity. I wouldn’t call Felicity an unreliable narrator in the traditional sense that we see with thrillers these days, but there is definitely some underlying untruth coming through her narrative, which leads the reader to second guess what they’re being told. I know this sounds vague, but it’s hard to talk about the details of this book without spoiling the storyline.

In addition to great formatting and narration, Bolton also provides the reader with an atmospheric quality that is simply unbeatable during the present day, South Georgia sections. I love that the island became its own character with the way it plays a role in Felicity’s actions and the overall story. There is something immediately unsettling about being on the isolated island of South Georgia that instantly enhances the danger Felicity feels.

My major hang up with THE SPLIT and the reason I can’t give it a higher star rating is that I guessed all the twists within the first few chapters. Maybe it’s a case of I read too much crime fiction or maybe I’ve become a really amazing detective! I found myself thinking the answers were a bit obvious and I was genuinely frustrated with the other characters for not putting the puzzle pieces together faster. Despite this, I really enjoyed the book and for the longer length of story, it went by incredibly quickly. I think this book is perfect for those looking to get into the genre who want a quick and engaging story!

A huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my free copy!

Who is Felicity, really? Set in South Georgia but mainly in Cambridge, this is a tale of a woman beset by demons. Joe, a psychologist, has been assigned to evaluate her before she takes an assignment studying the glaciers on South Georgia. He also counsels the homeless and is newly recovered from being attacked by one of them. His mom Delilah is a police officer; she's following the cases of murdered and missing rough sleepers. Something's clearly wrong with Felicity, who has fugue states. She's not honest with Joe or herself. The novel opens with her running from the arrival of Freddie on the island but who is he? This one strains credulity at multiple (hah) turns and I guessed the twists long before they were revealed but you know what- I kept reading. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I'd hoped for more glacier than you get but fans of the psychological thriller will like this one.

I felt the first part of this book was very confusing. Felicity is running from Freddie who I assumed was her abusive ex-husband. He was recently released from jail, and now he has come for her. In the first part of the story Felicity is in South Georgia, an island in the southern Atlantic Ocean, for her job. The chapters alternate between Felicity, Freddie and Bamber. Bamber's character seemed like a drifter, and didn't make any sense to me until the second half.

The pace really picked up in Part Two: Nine Months Earlier. That's when the pieces started to fall in place. Now the chapters alternate between Felicity, her therapist Joe, and a homeless man called Shane. I figured out a few things in the second half early on, but not everything. Having recently finished a book like this one made it easier to figure out. However, the author still threw in a few twists I didn't see coming, and one very heart wrenching story.

Since I did read two very similar books back to back, I didn’t rate this one as high as I normally would, and that is my fault not the authors. I also could not connect with any of the characters. I needed a little more background on Joe. It felt like his past were issues touched on, but never mentioned again.

Thank you Minotaur Books for sending me an advanced reading copy! Grab yours April 28, 2020!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Sharon Bolton for the opportunity to read and review her latest psychological thriller. Between the intense atmosphere of the South Georgia island near Antartica and the character drama, this is a book you won't be able to put down. 4.5 stars rounded up!

Felicity is a glaciologist living on the extremely remote South Georgia island. She is anxiously awaiting the departure of the last tourist ship to the island for the summer and then she will be able to feel safe again. She lives in fear of Freddie, her ex-husband, who is out of prison and determined to find her. The book also takes us to the past in Cambridge, where Felicity is preparing for her trip and seeing a counselor to work through some issues.

Enough said - this is a very intense read and I loved it! I may have figured some things out along the way but it in no way took away from the thrill of this book and figuring out all the secrets involved.

The Split by Sharon Bolton is a wild ride. This 5 star, puzzling, intriguing thriller is set in South Georgia, Antarctica and Cambridge, England and is peopled by complex, troubled characters whose problems threaten to overcome them.

As The Split opens, Felicity Lloyd, a scientist on an expedition to South Georgia to study icebergs, is nervously scanning the horizon for a ship. On that ship may be her abusive husband Freddie who has tracked her down. Terrified, she has planned for this and flees to hide in a remote abandoned coastal town.

Now the mystery moves to Cambridge, nine months earlier, where Joe, a psychiatrist who treats the homeless, has taken on the case of a woman who was hospitalized after a vicious beating she cannot remember. That woman is Felicity and she needs a mental clearance to make the upcoming trip to South Georgia. Chapters alternate between Felicity, Joe and several other characters, all with different perspectives of the same events. Just as Joe thinks he has solved the biggest riddle in Felicity’s life, she leaves for her assignment in Antarctica. What follows is a heart stopping conclusion, full of surprises until the last page.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sharon Bolton for this ARC.

They say a geographic move is just that - you take your baggage with you wherever you go. Felicity thinks she is escaping her dangerous life by going to a remote glacial area to work where no one from her past can find her. Surprise! Told in the past and present with many unexpected twists this was a satisfying psychological thriller by an author who was new to me, one I know I will read again..

The Split by Sharon J. Bolton Reviewed April 25, 2020 4 ice/hot stars!!

I went into this novel knowing bare bones about the story.

Story is broken down into 4 parts.
Part I: Felicity is a Glaciologist who goes to Antarctic to – what else study glaciers. But also to escape a traumatic past and must get away from her husband Freddie who is currently in prison.
However, Freddie’s prison term is up and he tracks down Felicity on South Georgia Island. And she runs away. End of Part I!

Now Part II and II are both back in time to Cambridge.
I have been on a run of some amazing reads additional have many books on my TBR shelf and thought these two section were okay. I was curious about the title and now it was getting much clearer.
However, it is not until …..
Part IV nearly ¾ into the story that I say out loud “Oh My Heavens”! (True ~ my exact words.)
In the last part of the novel my heart is racing and the pages are turn like they are on fire (which is strange as the story is what is happening on a glacier)
This novel was a nice surprise and certainly not a disappointment.

I am sure most psychological thriller fans will figure out some but perhaps not ALL the twists!

This is my second Sharon J. Bolton novel. I read and liked "Daisy in Chains" but am so sting with stars and gave 3..7.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this early release granted in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 28, 2020

Felicity Lloyd works on the remote island of South Georgia in Antarctica studying glaciers. While that's her profession, her location is not an accident. She's gone as far away from her home in Cambridge as possible to escape her ex-husband, Freddie, whom she knows is methodically hunting her down. Meanwhile, back in Cambridge, there are people--including a doctor--whom are looking into Felicity and Freddie's twisted relationship. And it may bring all of them into a shocking confrontation in South Georgia.

"The ends of the Earth. That's how far she ran this time. Not far enough."

I'm pretty sure this book had me reading with my brow actually furrowed for about the first two thirds. I was perplexed and confused, trying to work out Felicity's character--her intentions, motivations, and what on earth she was doing. I won't reveal much, as it's best to go into this one spoiler-free, but there's a lot going on with her and, as such, this is a very compelling and fascinating tale.

The book crosses time periods and perspectives, as we hear from folks in South Georgia, Cambridge, and elsewhere. I guessed one big piece before one of the characters--whether this was intentional or not, I'm not sure. (I felt superior to the doctor, but who knows, ha.) I can tell you that I read this book in three frantic chunks, desperately wanting to know the deal with Felicity and Freddie. It's a little crazy, a little out-there, and a bit extreme, but it certainly keeps you flipping the pages, I will grant Bolton that. I'm not sure if it's a book you really enjoy, per se, but it's one you consume (or does it consume you?), sucking in the story and the wild characters until there is nothing left.

Not my favorite Bolton, but, in classic Bolton fashion, The Split wasn't quite as predictable as it appeared from the start. From the title, I knew right away what the subject of the story was going to be, and most of the twists were pretty obvious to someone who reads thrillers even casually. What drove me crazy was how weepy and impotent Felicity was in the "9 Months Earlier" section. We get this picture of a badass, self sufficient scientist / adventurer type. And then only nine months before she's... completely different.

There were a lot of characters and tangled plots to juggle and it really bogged down the pacing. Keeping the story to only Felicity and Joe would have been much more prudent - I think having Freddie as a POV character was repetitive and didn't serve a clear purpose that wasn't already established by Joe and Felicity.

I also wanted a bit more ice adventuring. But I will continue to read through Bolton 's backlist.

Felicity Lloyd is a glacier specialist who thinks she’s safe on South Georgia island from everything dangerous in her past. When she receives a letter telling her someone from her past has found her and is coming to visit, things spiral out of control very quickly. With a complicated plot and a few twists and turns, The Split explores the lengths a body will go to, to protect itself from past harm.

Thank you Minotaur publishing for the book to read and review. This book is split into 3 parts with the ending bringing it all together for an "ah-a" moment. We meet Felicity in the beginning in the country of Georgia she is running from her ex-husband. Fast forward to part two where we meet Felicity as she is going to therapy and her therapist Joe, Come back for part 3 and we see Felicity in Georgia again. This was a great thriller, what in the world is going on book. I had to keep reading so I could find out the true story!!

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since I read Black Little Lies by her, Sharon Bolton has been on my radar. I read a few of her Lacey Flint novels (she writes these as S.J. Bolton) but I prefer the standalones. Last year when I found out she had a new one out about a deadly chase of a hot air balloon, I immediately got the audiobook from my library and was not disappointed. Her books usually have some pretty outlandish plots but are very entertaining for that reason too!

So of course I was excited when I was approved to read this! Especially since the setting is back near Antarctica, similar to Black Little Lies which is set in the Falklands. I love thrillers with a strong sense of place.

Felicity is a scientist who is working on the island of South Georgia, a British protectorate near Antarctica that is completely empty of people besides the researchers at her station. She is also running from her past, which catches up with her by way of a tourist ship that comes to the island on its way to Antarctica.

It's hard to say more about the plot because the twists are really big and it's better to find them all out as you are reading. Let's just say that Felicity is terrified for good reason but she has also suffered from multiple periods of memory loss before coming to South Georgia.

The psychologist who was treating her at Cambridge before she left for her two year research post is trying to figure out what is really going on with Felicity, while also dealing with his own issues of blurred boundaries with his patients.

The book starts in South Georgia, then goes to Cambridge to explain more of Felicity's past, then ends in South Georgia with a creepy and pulse-pounding climax to the story.
I will admit, I thought I was so smart and had figured everything out pretty early on, but nope... definitely some good shocking revelations at the end.

I gave three instead of four stars because it took a little while to build up at the beginning, and because there are some trigger warning parts about child sexual abuse. I go back and forth on thrillers that are all about tortured children and women. I continue to read them but sometimes I get tired of that topic when it's extra descriptive and traumatizing.