Sharon Bolton is a master at her craft. She spins intricate, fascinating, and the darkest of webs. Any book she writes, I am always going to read. This book was NO exception.

This was a book you will want to enter with little knowledge of the plot. Therefore, I won't be giving ANYTHING away. No plot spoilers here! For me, what makes a psychological thriller exciting, is not only the plot, but the characters. This book had it all. The characters were interesting and the plot was intense. I could not put this book down. I stayed up WAY too late reading this book.. but hey! Isn't that what we all do? And if not.. then why are you reading it?

5 stars!

Lordy, what a great read this is! I am a mega Bolton fan, and Ms. Bolton has hit yet another one out of the ballpark. The Split is a twisty, eerie psychological thriller—vintage Bolton. I burned out on typical psychological thrillers years ago. You know, the ones that feature amnesia, missing children, abusive husbands, and traitorous friends and relatives. But Sharon Bolton never fails to weave an intricate different sort of tale in which she beautifully transports the reader to an unusual setting and creates an atmosphere that is literally dripping in tension.

This one is based in Cambridge, England, and the remote Antarctic island of South Georgia. Our protagonist, Felicity, is an expert in glaciers. Not interested in glaciers? No problem. Neither was I when I started. See my star rating. Amongst other interesting characters, we have Freddie. Freddie is after Felicity for uncertain reasons; Felicity lives in dire fear of Freddie. Then there is Joe. Joe is a psychiatrist who is trying to understand Felicity. But Felicity has secrets that even she herself doesn’t realize. The story ultimately becomes a thrilling chase for survival in a terrifying milieu of ice, water, and misunderstandings. Enough said.

If you have not read Sharon Bolton, you haven’t lived in the sense of reading quality thrillers. She is one of my very top go-to authors, and I give my highest recommendation for her novels to all fans of thrillers and suspense.

Thank you Net Galley, Minotaur Books, and Ms. Sharon Bolton for granting me an ARC of this novel. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

The beginning of this book starts off a little slow but keeps you interested enough to keep going. The action ramps up and so does your wanting to know what happens. This was a little more predictable then other books by this author but she is so good that even when you know what is going to happen and why you want to keep reading.

This story takes you from Antartica to England and back again to bring this story to it's conclusion. Antartica was an interesting backdrop for the beginning and ending of this story and I think it helped make this book be as good as it was.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

Felicity Lloyd is on South Georgia Island, off the coast of Argentina, working for the British government, studying ice. Her team hopes to figure out how climate change is affecting the glaciers. She has fled to the most remote place she can find, hoping to keep away from her demons. Back in Cambridge, her psychiatrist is working to uncover her secrets and Felicity has a lot of secrets. Did she survive horrific abuse at the hands of her father? Is she really married to Freddie? And who is Freddie? Why does Felicity fear him so very much? A slow beginning speeds up as the action begins to build and all the characters show up on South Georgia Island.

Sharon Bolton has outdone herself with her new standalone psychological thriller. It starts out slow but in the end, it is a tension-filled gripping read that never lets go. Felicity Lloyd is a glaciologist and is hiding from her abusive ex-husband, Freddie, on South Georgia Island in Antarctica. Bolton's description of South Georgia Island makes you feel like you are there in all the ice cold temperatures.
While back at home in Cambridge for a break, she meets Joe Grant, a psychologist, who delves into her background in order to help her cope with her fears. On a daily basis, she feels someone is watching her. She needs to get back to South Georgia Island in order to feel safe. Is that person Freddie or is someone else out to do her harm? When she gets back to the island, the story takes off at breakneck speed. There are plenty of twists and turns that I never saw coming. I am sure that this book will be one of my favorite reads for 2020! I would highly recommend to those who love psychological thrillers! I would also like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC for an honest review.

The setting for the first part of the novel, the Antarctic, specifically the island of South Georgia, is a character onto itself. Ms Bolton made me feel so in the moment while I was reading this. It definitely feels as though it transported me into a different place. Sounds corny, I know, but that’s how it felt. Here’s an example of the incredible descriptions of a scene while they were on ice, “The ice mountain leans towards them, gravity winning the battle with momentum and the sea begins to churn. The new iceberg topples, finds its new horizontal gravity and a wall of turquoise water, thirty metres high, surges towards them”. Yikes!!

So many reviews have already been written about the main story so I’ll keep it short and leave the rest to your imagination.

We first meet Felicity, a well known glaciologist who is currently stationed in South Georgia. The story is divided into parts, South Georgia Present Day is Part One. She is worried about the last tourist boat that is arriving. There is someone in her life that she is very afraid of and she worries that he will find her here, even so far from. If her worst fears are confirmed she has a plan. ..

Cambridge 9 months earlier. We will meet the other players in this thriller of a ride; Joe Grant, Felicity’s psychotherapist, working hard to unravel Felicity’s myriad of symptoms and fears. She feels she is constantly being watched, she thinks someone has been in her home and finds a diary that she doesn’t remember writing. Joe himself has just recovered from a knife wound sustained from an attack by one of the homeless people, Ezzy Sheeran, whom he works with pro bono. Much more occurs in Cambridge but I will leave that for you to discover.

Joe’s mother, Delilah, is a police woman and has been following her son’s cases closely. Their relationship sometimes seems a little too close to be healthy, but for the most part they seem to be able to run through ideas together helping Joe and the police.

In the last part of the novel we are whisked back to South Georgia where an incredibly feverish search is on to find Felicity. She was last known to be headed to Bird Island, a place even more remote than South Georgia. The weather turns extremely harsh and with multiple people searching by land and sea there is never a slow moment. Even in the harbor master’s office, “Joe can see a waterfall like a silver ribbon, slicing a snow-tipped summit in half, and the rusting carcass of a wrecked steam ship stranded in the bay. On the northern horizon, a berg lies like a fallen mountain and the air above it is alive with seabirds . . .there is an eardrum-splitting cacophony of noise . . .the bird screams and the grunting of seals.”

This novel got it all right for me. An intricately woven plot, great characters that are believable, tension and fear that never quits and an atmosphere that is transformative. This book had me from the first few pages and just when I thought I had it all figured out, nope, wrong!!!!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast paced twisty thriller, well written and exciting. I am still googling South Georgia and the photos that I find are incredible and fascinating. I highly recommend taking a tour of where the story takes place.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It is set to publish on April 28, 2020.

Will post to Amazon upon publication.

The Split was an okay read for me. It took off really slow and I couldn’t seem to really get into it until nearly halfway through. I found that I couldn’t quite connect with Felicity to really care about her. On the other hand, South Georgia was a really interesting setting. Once it picked up a bit, I found it more enjoyable to read. I thought most of the twists were easy enough to figure out, though there were a couple surprises. I don’t know that I could feel the connection within Felicity’s relations to others. She struck me as really cold and dull, lacking some depth honestly, and I didn’t see how a couple other main characters could feel otherwise. That was my main struggle, I suppose. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for providing me an ARC copy to review.

Okay, well, now I need blood pressure meds and anxiety pills and…you know what, just give me the whole dang pharmacy!! I don’t know why I’m surprised, I’m a hardcore Sharon Bolton fan. I discovered her in 2011 when I picked up Blood Harvest. I have since read everything she had written before that book and everything she has written after it. I really should have known that The Split would give me heart palpitations. I should have prepared better.

So, what we have here is a novel in four parts. It opens in South Georgia. No, not Scarlett O’Hara’s Georgia. The South Georgia Island that’s in the Antarctic Circle. I was “today years old” when I learned that existed, but how’s that for an exotic locale that you don’t read about every day?!?! Bolton nails the atmosphere that this setting provides: It’s isolated, and you will feel a bit claustrophobic, and your fingers will turn blue from the thought of all that frigid air. Anyway, we’re introduced to our main character Felicity, a glaciologist (which means she studies glaciers)—thus, Antarctica—and Felicity is having a really bad day. See, her ex-husband has shown up. Yes, he’s been searching for her since he got out of PRISON for MURDER! Yep, murder! Felicity, rightly so, is terrified of him and really, really doesn’t want to see him. Oh, and there’s this other chick, Bamber, who maybe chases people with knives. She’s fun.

After that chilling (get it?) opening, we’re transported back in time to Cambridge, and this is where the past begins to set the stage for the present. My synopsis will end here; you have to read it for yourself. I’ll just tease you by saying serial killer, peeping tom, a detective and a psychologist, voices in the night, and some threatening messages just to shake things up. There is ONE SENTENCE in this section that changed the whole game for me. I read it, re-read it, stopped and thought about it, and then read it again. WOW! And it doesn’t stop there. Things just keep getting more and more explosive.

Listen, guys, Sharon Bolton is the real deal. She can entertain like no other! Are you looking for some thrilling, chilling goodness? Look no further. You’ve found it!! Enjoy.

The Split is a mind-bending story about Felicity, a glaciologist who is running from her past. Part 1 begins in South Georgia, an island north of the Antarctic, where Felicity is studying glaciers. When a tourist ship arrives at the island and Felicity discovers the name of a man from her past on the passenger manifest, she is overwhelmed with fear and goes into hiding. The readers are left with a cliffhanger and transported back in time to when Felicity lived in Cambridge. In Part 2, Felicity’s paranoia and other aspects of her mental state prior to her move to South Georgia are explored when she begins seeing Joe, a psychiatrist. Joe’s mother, Delilah, plays a key role in the story as she studies the murder and disappearance of homeless young women, who were pro bono patients of Joe. Part 3 continues the story in Cambridge and progresses the plot with surprise reveals, while Part 4 returns to the cliffhanger in South Georgia.

Almost nothing in this story is what it first seems. Although I figured out one major plot point by the end of Part 1, it did not spoil the rest of the story for me because there were still so many questions that needed answering. At times, the story seems scattered but this contributes to the plot and atmosphere by capturing the disorganization of Felicity’s mind. All the pieces of the puzzle eventually come together in a highly satisfying way. My biggest critique is that this story requires quite of bit of suspension of disbelief, particularly for those of us who are mental health practitioners. Joe repeatedly violates ethics codes related to confidentiality and dual relationships/boundaries. Did this man have any training? I will also say that the end of Felicity’s story left a bad taste in my mouth because, realistically, she would not have been able to continue on in her situation without intervention. Despite these issues, I still highly recommend this novel. I found it well-written, thought-provoking, and highly engaging.

Surprised I liked this as much as I did with a few predictable parts, which I usually rate lower, however this had a strong main character with a heck of a story. The writing was good and I loved the premise. Definitely one of the better suspense/thrillers for 2020 and recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Split is a page turning dark suspenseful novel that is told from two locales Cambridge England and South Georgia where you can almost here the icebergs cracking and the cold penetrates your very bones.

Secrets and the past always catch up with you !

Read every word, there are always clues (missed a few) in Sharon Bolton's mesmerizing novels that lead to twists and turns with a great ending.

Don't miss The Split with its atmospheric aura.

Great read as always with Sharon Bolton!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for twisted read ! Loved it !

Sharon Bolton is back with the creep factor! This author really knows how to turn up the anticipation. The Split was atmospheric, chilling, and totally twisty! It’s set in England and on the Antarctic island of St. George, which really ramped up the chilling tone of the book. The writing is fantastic, and the twists are incredibly well done. I saw the big twist before it was revealed but there were some others I never saw coming. The outcome was not what I was expecting and was really disturbing. The Split was a psychological thriller ramped up with the atmosphere of the Antarctic. 3.5 ⭐️. Thank you @stmartinspress for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Biggest, baddest Bolton at her best. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Particularly, since I have a geologist son named Freddy. So that added to it.

Bolton is consistently good with each book being different. She grows as a writer with each book. Just love her.

Thanks Netgalley for this arc.

Sharon Bolton never disappoints--and she never repeats herself. This is a twisty, surprising, gorgeously paced and wondrously visceral thriller from a writer who deserves to be better known.

Sharon Bolton has entered the building.

'Nuf said.........

Just when you think that Sharon Bolton has approached a story from every angle and from every mindset, she comes up with another remarkable setting and another remarkable storyline. This one grabs you from page one with magnificent descriptors of "the blue of liquid sapphires" located in the wildlife paradise of South Georgia. We'll be sitting tight hunkered down in the Antarctic Circle 900 miles from the Falkland Islands.

Bolton introduces us to Felicity Lloyd, a talented glaciologist, sent to this location for a two year study of the meltwater plug deep beneath the glaciers that slowly drain and empty filling the nearby lakes. Felicity is also a professional diver with a beneath the surface study of the movements of these glaciers. She's highly dedicated to her task at hand along with her work partner, Jack. They are part of BAS (British Antarctic Survey) assigned to the area.

But slowly we come to find that the kickass Felicity is revealing a distraction that is eating away at her. She checks the passenger logs of the ship, Snow Queen, as it heads its way to South Georgia. Someone onboard is a threat to Felicity. This individual has tracked her all the way to the Antarctic Circle with bad intentions. And there are no safety zones here.

Then Bolton flips the story back nine months prior to Cambridge in England. We find Felicity living alone in a small house not far from the university. Something untoward has happened to Felicity. She's filled with cuts, bruises, and a concussion and has no memory of what had occured. After leaving the hospital, Felicity is assigned to a psychistrist, Dr. Joe Grant, who must meet with her before signing off on her permission to return to work. Her Antarctic assignment is waiting in the wings for the green light from Dr. Joe.

We begin to realize that Felicity is holding back on vital information. Bolton slowly raises the curtain on secrets held by both our girl and Dr. Joe as well. There's a twisty play of cat and mouse here with our main characters keeping a lid on things. Secrets seem to serve the holder as long as they are kept under lock and key. But Bolton gives us opportunities to feel the ooze of them and they are quite slimy to the touch. As readers, we'll also come to realize the meaning of the title as well. The Split is another walk around inside the superb mind of Sharon Bolton. Dedicated or newly found fans will find this one like a fine liqueur satisfyingly poured over Antarctic ice.

I received a copy of The Split through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press (Minotaur) and to the talented Sharon Bolton for the opportunity.

Georgia Island? Glaciers? Technical talk? Ah, for any of you that feel this way brush those breadcrumbs aside because that is only a tiny fraction of what is to explode in your head. The book is sectioned into different parts, where we first find Felicity Lloyd, a glacial researcher, desperately trying to escape from what she fears is her ex husband Freddie who has been recently released from prison. After that short introduction, the background is created and we view her former life in Cambridge and get introduced on a wild ride while she experiences fugue states, feels someone is stalking her, and begins therapy. Murders ensue, strange characters emerge, shadowy figures prowl the street. I don't want to take away the enjoyment and thrill ride to say more because the final third of the book provides gasps and gulps as the novel make twisty serpentine shifts that could make a glacier calve. The suspense is undeniable. For new and old fans, run, run, run........

Sharon Bolton delivers the most unusual (in both settings and characters) mysteries and she's done it again in The Split.

It can be confusing at first, but one understands why by the end. Its lead is glaciologist Felicity Lloyd, who's fled to work in the remote Antarctic island of South Georgia in fear of her abusive ex, Freddie.

Though disturbing, this seems simple enough, but then the author shares flashbacks with the reader to Felicity's time in Cambridge, England months earlier, and her sessions with psychiatrist Dr. Joe Grant.

As many plot threads develop and intermingle, Felicity has memory blanks, but shares little with Joe as she's desperate to get the job on South Georgia. The denouement takes place there and it's quite a ride.

This thriller takes place in two very different locations. Felicity is a scientist working in remote Antarctica. She lives in Cambridge, England. The story is told from a few perspectives, as we meet and get to know the different characters on the two continents, and the tension rises and builds. This is a good, atmospheric, thriller. Recommended.

The Split is set in two cities, beginning in South Georgia, a remote Antarctic island which can only be reached by boat. Glaciologist Felicity Lloyd has been living on the island for months - happily isolated from most of the world, particularly the ex-husband she fears. She took this job to hide from him, but now that he's out of prison, having served a term for murder, she's afraid he'll find her, even in this place that feels like the end of the world. The story then jumps back in time to Cambridge, where we learn about the months leading up to Felicity's terrified run to South Georgia. Did she flee because of more than her ex? When the timeline jumps back to the present in South Georgia, Felicity is on the move, but in the Antarctic there is danger all around her setting up a suspenseful climax.

This fast paced thriller is a twisty, gripping read. Particularly the sections set in South Georgia - the wildlife, ice, snow, glaciers, and generally desolate and isolated location are descriptively written and set a wonderfully tense scene. Frequent readers of suspense may not be surprised by the mystery resolution, but that did not significantly decrease my enjoyment of the book. 4.5 Stars

SPOILER rape and other abuse of an adult; rape and other abuse of child; murder END SPOILER

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.