Rachel is struggling. She wonders what has happened to her life. Where was the girl that the boys all wanted to date? Where has the romance gone in her marriage? How does she cope with the debilitating peri-menopausal symptoms? Why is her daughter so angry or skulking in her room?How does she cope with he son away at Uni? How do we all cope with the growth of crime? She has all these questions but she feels like she is invisible & now the new neighbour seems to have set her cap at her husband! We know early on that Rachel has confessed to some terrible things. The story is mainly told in the conversations she has with the forensic psychiatrist & police transcripts from others involved.

This was a terrific read. I really felt for Rachel. She seemed such a lovely person & it seemed such a tragedy that she felt so marginalised. The author kept the reader guessing right to the end. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

😊 S.E. Lynes writes a mind-blowing, incredibly good psychological thriller. In Can You See Her? Rachel Edwards has literally become invisible to all those around her. Married to Mark for twenty-seven years she has two children, Kieron who is studying art at university and Katie, 19 and currently on a gap year. Her teenagers are oblivious to her presence, as is Mark. Rachel remembers a time when she was Rachel Ryder, younger, someone who could turn heads, and a woman whose husband used to tell her she was out of his league.

Rachel, feeling like a housekeeper to her unappreciative family, starts to become preoccupied with the spate of knife murders currently occurring near her home, and as time progresses, this preoccupation turns into an obsession. Rachel also starts suffering from bouts of memory loss and time lapses. As Rachel's life unravels around her she no longer knows what is happening or what she is capable of...

As a habitual reader of novels by Susie Lynes, I couldn't wait to get started on Can You See Her?. This was equally as good as the others I've read, such as The Women and The Lies We Hide. Thrillers are one of my favorite genres and this one in particular, was a remarkably original, morally ambiguous and captivating read.

Can You See Her? is artfully narrated through Rachel, both as events are occurring and as she relates them to Amanda, (a forensic psychiatrist). This narrative is interspersed by police interviews with Katie, Mark, Ingrid (Rachel's new neighbour), and Lisa (Rachel's best friend).

The characters were adeptly constructed and believable in their roles, whether intended to be inherently good, bad or some shade of grey. The clarity of Susie Lynes' writing made it an easy story-line to follow, and the fast paced, tense, and twisty plot went down a treat as it snaked along. The author's writing is of a variety that any thriller fan can appreciate -first class - and she was able to create a tone of sinister foreboding that continues until the very last page. Can You See Her? is a mesmerising story incorporating main themes of friendship, loss, grief and guilt. Add into the cooking pot some of the sub ingredients such as revenge, neediness, mental health and varying psychoses, and the reader can appreciate how sophisticated and special this novel actually is.

The part of Rachel was ingeniously created by the author, whose personality was complex and intriguing. I loved the way the finer points of the story were drip-fed to the reader as the story built to its satisfying conclusion. The added bonuses of the menacing moments and buckets of tension helped to make Can You See Her? a true masterpiece.

I'm desperate to fit into my reading the other books I have on my e-reader by this fabulous author, namely Mother and The Pact. My thanks must go to S.E. Lynes for writing such an awesome book! 😊

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Clever and riveting. S E Lynes has once again crafted a twisted, thought provoking, and complex tale. Rachel is almost convinced that she is invisible. Her teenage daughter doesn’t need her, her husband doesn’t look at her, and everyone around her seems to look right through her. Rachel is sad and frustrated she is used to being needed, being heard, and being scene. Rachel also has what some would call an unhealthy obsession with the crime going on in her neighborhood. She is consumed with clipping out all news articles pertaining to local violent crime and adding them to her notebook. But most concerning of all she has been losing pieces of her memory. When Rachel starts discovering disturbing things, bloody Kleenex, a knife missing should she worry that her obsession with violent crime is not only in her head.

The story is told from the perspective of Rachel. We also get snippets of interviews between a forensic psychologist and Rachel as well as her husband Mark, her daughter Katie, her BFF Lisa, and her neighbor Ingrid. I loved the structure and I thought it made the story flow nicely. This was not necessarily one of those books that grab me from the first page it took a while to build but once I hit that halfway point Bam, it was unputdowngable Rachel was a frustrating sometimes tedious character, I really wanted the girl to tell several people in this book off, one of them being her husband Mark. Sometimes she seemed to like to play the part of the martyr and was not willing to ask for help or reach out. But truly it was really hard to figure Rachel out, was she simply having a hard time going through a bit of a midlife crisis? Was she crazy? Was she a murderer? I had no idea. Twisted and tense with a surprising and satisfying ending.

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This is the latest standalone psychological thriller by SE Lynes and once again she's nailed it! If you enjoy cleverly plotted, original dark domestic noir with twists and thrills galore - then I would definitely recommend CAN YOU SEE HER?

Rachel Ryder is our main character and when we meet her she has confessed to some horrific crimes which are slowly revealed throughout the book.  The story is cleverly told through police interviews and Rachel's own version of events and the reader is taken on a sad and emotional journey following Rachel and how she ended up in her current situation.

This is an insightful and observational tale of a middle-aged wife and mother who is feeling more and more invisible and unnecessary in her family's life.  Suffering from depression, peri-menopausal symptoms and a growing concern about the impact of local knife crimes, Rachel finds herself caught up in a series of violent crimes.  

A cleverly constructed tale covering many relevant topics and some highly relatable characters and situations.  The author has a wonderful way with words and is able to transport the reader deep into the story lines, and feel and care about the characters.  I was totally able to relate to Rachel and felt her pain and confusion throughout her narration.  SE Lynes has an exceptional talent for creating unique, original and gripping thrillers with plausible plots and characters you can connect with.  Another brilliant book.

This is a beautifully written slow-burner of a psychological thriller that is so emotionally charged it has got right under my skin!
As usual with this author, the writing draws you in to the point where you can't put it down and although I am probably a little bit younger than the main character Rachel, I related to her so much.
Written mainly from Rachel's point of view, with added interviews from other characters, the plot unfolds at a really good pace with the tension and suspense building perfectly to what I found to be a very emotional ending.
Another absolute cracker from Mrs Lynes that I highly recommend. Can't wait to see what she does next!

"What would you do if no-one was watching"
Rachel is being questioned by the police after a series of knife attacks having handed herself in. She feels as if she has been almost invisible and that she was passing others and them not noticing her whatever she did. Her children don’t notice her and her husband takes her for granted. We get statements from some of her friends and family who say she has been going through a rather odd time but not to the extent of trying to murder someone. She has been more than aware of recent crime and has been keeping a file with the aim of handing it to her local MP to do something about it. This is an usual read (in a good way) in that the plot is both current and in the past and that much is from Rachels perspective put to the police. She “says” something but not sure if she has actually said it out loud so we are not sure how much the police are getting. OMG! A clever, well crafted read that kept me both reading and thinking. A carefully constructed plot with a NPD character. Wow! It threw me, it surprised me. Brilliant.
(amazon done- misfits farm)

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Can You See Her?’ by S.E. Lynes in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel is seated in a room being asked whether she killed someone. Rachel doesn’t know but is afraid that she’s done something terrible. She had been drifting lately, feeling the hormonal ups and downs of menopause. More than this she feels invisible, taken for granted especially by her family.

Rachel’s interviews are interspersed with transcripts of police interviews with various people in Rachel’s life. We slowly gain a picture of the situation.

As this is a psychological thriller I am not going to say more about the plot as it is really is best to read this spoiler free and without expectations.

I felt that Lynes totally delivered with this novel. It is a slow burn, character driven thriller that highlights the mental as well as physical stresses that can accompany menopause. Rachel’s sense of invisibility is something that I could certainly relate to.

I found this a very clever and well written novel.

EXCERPT: 'There are things I don't know. But I know people are dead, I know I killed them and I know it all started the day I realized I was invisible.'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: What would you do if no-one was watching?

Rachel is afraid she may have done something terrible. She’s sitting in a room, being asked whether she killed someone.

She doesn’t understand how her life has changed so completely. When she was younger, heads would turn when she walked into a room. Her children needed her; her husband adored her.

But somehow the years wore that all away. She was so busy raising her children, looking after her parents, that the woman who used to be Rachel Ryder, whose husband told her she was out of his league, now quietly washes his clothes and makes his dinner, and can walk into a room without anyone knowing she’s there.

She knows that she thought: what would it take for you to see me again? What if I did something no-one thought I was capable of?

MY THOUGHTS: A most unusual book - intriguing and touching.

There is probably very few amongst us that haven't felt invisible at times. You'll be saying something, and someone else will talk over top of you. You will wave/call out to someone you know and they blank you, maybe not intentionally, but how do you know? Or maybe, just like Rachel, if you don't do it, it doesn't get done. And you wonder where the person you used to be, that vital, alive, interesting, fun person, went.

Rachel is struggling. Struggling with her marriage. Struggling with her children, son Kieron has gone off to uni, daughter Katie is taking a gap year which she is spending out partying or shut up in her room on YouTube and Instagram. Struggling with menopause. Struggling with her body image and ageing. Struggling with her sense of self. And angry. Very angry.

The high points in her life are her shifts as barmaid at a local pub, and the walks she takes her dog on at night. In both roles, she can talk to people who listen, and she listens to them. She has her regulars in the pub, also struggling with their lives, and she meets some lovely people while out walking the dog. People she can empathize with and relate to. But then people she has interacted with are found murdered....and Rachel starts to wonder, could she have done this?

Can You See Her is told from the point of view of Rachel, both as events are occurring and as she relates them to Amanda, forensic psychiatrist. This is interspersed with police interviews with Ingrid - Rachel's new neighbour, Lisa - Rachel's best friend, Katie - her daughter, and Mark, her husband.

The first 50% of the book is slower moving, but sets the scene for the events in the second half, where it really gets interesting.

This book is emotional, thought provoking, and should touch all of us on some level. Strongly recommended.

❤❤❤❤

#CanYouSeeHer #NetGalley

'My diets always start on Mondays. By Wednesday I think I can still turn it round. By Friday I've reached 'Sod it. I'll try again next week, pass the chocolate....'

Marriage is a spiral into madness sometimes. It's like Alice in Wonderland, except with a lot more chores.

THE AUTHOR: S.E. Lynes is the Amazon best selling author of psychological thrillers, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT and THE PROPOSAL.
After graduating from Leeds University, Susie lived in London before moving to Aberdeen where she worked as a producer at the BBC before moving with her husband, Paul, and two young children to Rome.
In Rome, she began to write, snatching time where she could. After the birth of her third child and upon her return to the UK, she gained an MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University.
She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing. She has also published two children's books in Italy.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Can You See Her? by S.E. Lynes for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal 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

OMG this book was EVERYTHING! As a woman of a certain age myself, it was so refreshing to meet Rachel as she was just so perfectly created to showcase the fears and emotions that come when a woman enters her menopausal years. But Rachel is different. She really does thinks she’s become invisible and now she’s sitting in an interview room at the police station telling her story-what has she done? And why? The answers when they come are so shocking and jaw dropping that I guarantee you won’t be able to put this book down until that very last page.

I loved the concept of this book and the method in which Susie Lynes developed her plotline. Rachel’s story slowly unravels as she answers questions about a series of recent murders. Her interview with Amanda a psychologist is interspersed with interviews with Rachel’s husband Mark, daughter Katie, best friend Lisa and the new neighbour she thinks may be having an affair with Mark. Their narratives give a more detailed insight into her story and the emotional difficulties she has been facing without any of them realising exactly how she has been feeling. I think many women will relate to Rachel. She’s a complex and realistic character who’s struggling with the transition from busy young mum who always got attention when she walked into a room to an overweight menopausal woman feeling unattractive, unloved and unseen. She’s the only one who seems to care about her home, doing all the housework even though her husband and daughter are living there too and she’s also working hard in her job at a local pub. There’s a distinct lack of intimacy between her and Mark and their glamorous new neighbour Ingrid becoming friendly with Mark seems to drive them even further apart. Watching this couple who used to be so close and in love not communicating was uncomfortable at times and I felt quite voyeuristic watching such awkward, private moments between them. The dog walks Rachel looked forward to on her own in the evenings are when she comes into contact with other people and she’s so starved of interaction in her own home that these meetings are the start of the problems that follow…

I absolutely adored this book. The subject matter was handled perfectly and it really stands out as an exceptional domestic and psychological thriller. The author has taken a subject that’s not often talked about and has created a relatable and compelling storyline around it. Women don’t talk enough about the problems that come with menopause. Yes there’s the night sweats, the grey hair and the hot flushes but no one talks about that feeling when people’s eyes just slide over you as though you’re no longer of any interest either sexually or intelligently. Your fertility has disappeared and it seems to have packed your usefulness and visibility with it-especially as it often comes at the same time as your nest empties. For some couples this can prove to be the start of a fun and relaxed new relationship as there’s no need for contraception anymore and an empty nest can lead to a exciting and newly discovered freedom for them! So I felt sad that this transition period was so devastating for Rachel. I felt so connected to her from the very start of her tragic tale and wanted a positive outcome for her but I must admit that I was completely floored by the final few pages!

This is a well developed, compelling and highly emotional book with a refreshingly original plot. I loved every moment of it and desperately wanted Rachel to have the life she deserved and not the one she was living. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year so far. Brilliant!

Rachel feels that she has become invisible over the years. Her husband and children don't seem to notice her anymore, and she's unhappy with this new feeling. A series of violent crimes is happening in Rachel's community, and she's been following the news to keep up with the crimes. Rachel feels for the victims and other invisible people, but now Rachel is being questioned about the murders.

The story is told using alternating viewpoints - Rachel's point of view and police transcripts with various characters. Rachel is depressed and suffering from some bouts of memory loss. She makes for an interesting and unreliable narrator.

A slow-burning psychological thriller. The book starts slow, but gets more interesting. Some unexpected and intriguing twists and turns along the way. Dark and clever.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book in one sitting. This is a very cleverly written twisty story which is a very compelling read. I loved the characters and the way it was written and how it all came together at the end.


Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A book worthy of the genre psychological thriller. A real twister of a novel. A dark story of Rachel who feels she is invisible to her family and the world. A really cleverly written story with a gripping ending.

Can You See Her is a creatively written suspenseful drama. Have you ever felt invisible? Have you ever felt as though your family and friends look through you as you speak? This happens to Rachel Edwards feels. Rachel has a history of postnatal psychosis after her first child was born almost twenty years ago. Now Rachel is going through the menopause and is tired of her aging beauty and excess pounds. She is becoming forgetful and friends and neighbours are worried about her. Rachel has become obsessed with fatal stabbing incidents and collects clippings of these events in a file. The more Rachel feels more ignored by her family, she begins to wonder, “What would it take or what could I do for you to see me?” Could Rachel get away with murder?!

As soon as I started the first few chapters of this book, I was totally engrossed. Each chapter keeps you wanting more and more. The pace is a brisk one, one where the tension never lets up, and there are plenty of mini-dramas to keep the reader entertained and attention held all the way through. It’s hard to look away, like watching a car crash, as you turn the pages waiting to find out the truth, what has Rachel done? With two timelines, past and police interviews, the author manages to slip seamlessly between them keeping the reader captivated.

The writing is as tight as a drum with a well constructed plot line that feeds the reader little bits of information, piece by piece, just enough to keep your attention piqued but to also ratchet up the tension and suspense. I had several theories going on in my head but it wasn’t till the end when all the threads were tied up that any were confirmed. What starts as a run of the mill family drama, turns into something that is dark, chilling and quite intoxicating. It is simply spine-tingling to read with a cleverly woven plot that tells of lies, secrets and will leave the reader gasping at the final reveal.

Rachel feels invisible. Nobody, including her husband and stay-at-home daughter Katie, seems to actually see her. Her husband, Mark, and best friend, Lisa, are worried. Not only is she gathering a rather bizarre collection of news clippings, but she has had a breakdown once before.

The story unfolds as Rachel tries to explain what happened to a psychologist. Feeling unseen and worthless, she had taken to long, nightly walks with her dog, often engaging with folk along the way. The trouble is, Rachel often had trouble remembering exactly what happened on these outings.

Can You See Her? is utterly gripping. It is also funny, heartbreaking and full of surprises. A master of dialogue and effortless writing, S.E. Lynes weaves a compelling story peopled with wonderfully believable characters. And her trademark humour is sprinkled throughout.

The author nails the wonderful relationship between childhood friends, Lisa and Rachel. Lisa is funny and generous; her description of what it’s like to be a woman had me roaring with laughter.

I also loved how S.E. Lynes handled the fraught relationship between Rachel and her daughter, Katie, who seems to be wasting her life. I challenge any mother of older kids to read the description of put-upon Katie when, for once, Rachel stands her ground and insists her daughter make her a cup of tea, without rolling around the floor with mirth.

But the spotlight also falls firmly on a very serious societal issue which lies at the heart of Can You See Her? – the prevalence of totally preventable youth knife attacks.

The author mixes it up by moving between the present and past, and interspersing Rachel’s story with transcripts of witness statements to the police. She also, in typical S.E. Lynes fashion, throws in some huge surprises, one of which totally floored me.

I really recommend this, as well as all her previous books.

A brilliantly told narrative that spotlights creatively depicted characters and a taught plot line. S.E. Lynes astutely avoids a familiar trope and offers readers a few unique twists. The story is filled with tension that is somewhat broken up with mild satire but ultimately leaves the reader anxious for answers. Great read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #CanYouSeeHer which was read and reviewed voluntarily by @wayward_readers

Tense psychological drama with so many twists and turns I couldn’t put it down. So many colorful characters that helped express a mother’s undying love for her children, what exactly is she supposed to do when the empty nest is upon her? I

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.


I am so impressed with the writting style of this book. I was captived and could not stop reading. I loved the way it all came together

The blurb of Can You See Her? sounded fabulous, the cover eye-catching and I love discovering new authors. When the publisher approved my request to read and review it, without much ado I jumped into the book. Although I don’t dislike short sentences, I did find the author’s writing choppy in parts. For me, this stilted the flow a tad, making it a struggle to turn the pages. But as the plot thickened, I enjoyed the story more.

Often life is compared with pages, chapters if you like. There’s always that before and after which on reflection, makes one wonder whether things should have been done differently or not. Rachel’s past sufferings are valid enough to understand. It’s the here and now that is causing her confusion. Mentally struggling to adapt to subtle and not so subtle changes in her life is basically the crux of the problem. Listening to her feelings of invisibility and what is for her a lack of recognition, prompted me to ask myself why she’d chosen the path she took. Still, at times I appreciated her sentiments, albeit some of her inner thoughts showed me her delicate state of mind.

Also, Rachel’s unusual dreamlike narration worked really well. One of the things I liked was not being able to suss out the twists. While the author kept me guessing, I was entertained with some cleverly written real-life conversational passages. Rachel’s dry wit when voicing her feelings on the aging opposite sex made me smile and she hit the nail on the head when the subject of what us middle-aged ladies go through arose.

The book per se was one that didn’t hold my attention as much as I would have liked it to. A shame because I think with a little tweaking here and there, it could easily have been a four/five-star read. Saying that, I won’t hesitate to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to give an honest review.

Can You See Her? by S.E. Lynes is the gripping story of Rachel, a wife and mother who, in middle age, feels invisible, not only to her family, but within society as a whole. As she struggles to come to grips with this new perception, Rachel becomes interested in local crime stories, particularly in cases that involve knives. During interviews that follow with a forensic psychiatrist, Rachel reveals that she might have more involvement in these local crimes than she dares to believe. Through a series of police transcripts that are interspersed through the narrative, we are provided insight into the lengths that a fragile woman will go to if she feels that she is unseen.

This is a compelling story that will certainly resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to feel relevant in a world that places an increasing premium on youth and vitality. There are many themes to ponder here, including age inequality, menopausal changes, and the growing concerns surrounding violent crime. All are presented thoughtfully, and will certainly linger in the mind long after you finish the narrative.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

When no-one is watching, you can get away with anything…

Can You See Her centres around Rachel, a mid life menopausal woman, who is suffering from the age old 'what has become of me and my life syndrome', her children are both grown up, Keiron is at university and Katie is on a gap year, but never around and when she is, she's always in her room, so Rachel's life feels very mundane as it's just her and Mark and to him, she feels invisible. She's spent most of her adult life looking after others and is secretly yearning the life she used to have, being adored by her husband and needed by her children. What does she need to do to get noticed again? Murder, surely not? Except now she's sat in a room being questioned about killing someone, did she really do it?

The story is mainly told from Rachel's perspective, with police interviews threaded into the story from her husband Mark, daughter Katie, best friend Lisa and her new neighbour Ingrid. Rachel really resonated with me, as I'm sure she will with many women of a certain age, dealing with the onset of menopause, empty nest syndrome and, at times, not feeling needed any more, anyone that has grown up children will understand what I'm saying. Rachel's character was so well depicted, she was funny, emotional and downtrodden all rolled into one and I loved her. I could cheerfully have killed her husband part way through the story, but my attitude towards him changed later on, I'll say no more on that though to avoid spoilers.

This book, like all of Susie's others, draws the reader in, like a spider draws it's prey, she has a knack of teasing you by dripfeeding intrigue chapter after chapter and then BAM, she hits you unexpectedly, square between the eyes, with that twist and what a twist it was! I know I say it every time I read a book by this author, that they just keep getting better, but it's true and this one exceeded my expectations yet again and, yet again, she reduced me to an emotional wreck, I blame the hormones! There is no end to this author's talent, she's amazing and this is glaringly obvious in the work she produces, this book is worth way more than the maximum 5 stars I'm allowed to award it.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.