Sadly this book just was not for me. This sat on my kindle for quite some time - twice I have attempted to read and twice I did not finish.

Thankyou for the opportunity but I will not be providing feedback on any commercial sites for this book.

So personally it was a little bit slow to get into, but you were thrown in with a case.
This book doesn't follow the police though it follows mainly Jacob and his neighbour Mr Anderson.

I felt everything Jacob did in this book and thought I'd clocked pretty quick what had happened. BUT I was not expecting that ending not even in the slightest! It just came out of no where and smacked me in the face! My brain is still a little bit baffled if I'm honest but I have seriously enjoyed this book 😁

A gripping read. Dark and addictive. Really enjoyed it and will look out for more from the author in the future.

“I LOVE YOU. YOU LOVE ME. WE’RE A HAPPY FAMILY”


I generally associate this slow burning, claustrophobic, lugubrious style of storytelling with some of the top-notch Nordic writers, who seem to excel at it. I have come across one or two authors closer to home, who have perfected the knack of really dragging an audience into the clutches of a storyline and believe me, Susan Gee has placed herself right up there with the best!

So here is my potted, hopefully spoiler free dash through the storyline…

…

The police are called when a rather unusual and very scary, homemade doll is found in Lyme Park, Stockport. This is followed in quick succession by the separate discoveries of the bodies of two homeless men, (one very young, the other older) and a teenage girl. The deaths of the two men are particularly gruesome and sickening, in their execution, although there is very little for the police to go on, towards finding the perpetrator(s) of the murders.

Middle-aged and single, librarian Mr. Anderson lives alone since the death of his mother and whilst, due to the nature of their very claustrophobic relationship, his new-found freedom is very welcome, it does come at a price, which is his abject loneliness and obsessive desire to create for himself, the perfect family of his own, although his methods are unorthodox and disquieting, to say the least.

His neighbours are the equally eccentric and dysfunctional Clarke family, comprising of Dave, his son Jacob, his daughter, and their stepmother Paula. Jacob is an excellent artist, skilled in drawing and the spitting image of his late mother, who lived a mentally tortured and fragile life, which tragically ended far too soon. Both children have begun to discover a new bond and relationship with their father, until Paula arrives on the scene, when a besotted Dave only has eyes for his new wife and Jacob discovers first-hand, the truth behind the epithet of ‘the wicked stepmother’. Jacob has always been a bit of a loner, however with Paula making no bones about the fact that she wants him gone from the home just as soon as he is old enough, he becomes very insular, insecure and missing his mother more than he ever has.

The only ‘sort of’ friend Jacob has, is Maggie, although they have a very tenuous relationship, which a naïve Jacob fervently protects as best he can, whilst Maggie tends to blow hot and cold on him, preferring instead to spend much of her time with the Vincent brothers, twins Matty and Billy, who take nothing but enjoyment from belittling and torturing Jacob and any other vulnerable person, at every opportunity and are not to be trusted. Jacob spends much of his time in the reference library, where he can escape from the realities of life, and it is here that Mr. Anderson begins to take a bit too much of an interest in and cultivate, the vulnerable young man.

The female body is discovered to be that of Jayne, Maggie’s cousin and whilst everyone assumes that the three murders are connected in some way, it becomes apparent that this may not indeed be the case, especially when information is given to the police, from a very unexpected source. The identity of Jayne’s murderer comes as a bit of a shocker to everyone, except for Mr. Anderson and events in the Clarke household take a much more sinister turn when Paula’s treatment of Jacob is outed, but only when his life is balanced on a knife-edge and genuine help comes from an unexpected direction.

With two murders still left unresolved, when Paula disappears, as if into thin air, it appears that no one is really bothered. However, let’s just hope that now, a certain DIY craft project is complete…

…

Having the author writing about an area with which she is no doubt familiar, some wonderfully rendered, fluent, atmospheric and visually descriptive narrative, deeply immersed me in the Stockport location of the story and offered a really genuine sense of time and place. A real ‘armchair travellers’ heaven, although I never actually travelled more than a few miles from my starting point and the physical footprint of the storyline was actually much smaller than it appeared.

This well structured, multi-layered, gripping and intense storyline, was never going to rock the world in the ‘action packed’ stakes, however the pace was steady and enough to keep me guessing right until the end and the cloying air of constant suspicion with which Susan cloaked everyone on her suspect list, made for an oppressively tense atmosphere throughout. The lies, duplicity, double standards, and all those dirty little secrets, were so widespread and attributed to so many different individuals, all with their own agendas, that melding them together into such a highly textured and cohesive storyline, was wickedly clever, slick and polished, and pulled off to perfection, with the twists and double twists coming one after the other, right until the final scene. Just about everyone was a suspect and at one point, I had no idea whether there was one single or multiple perpetrators, so twisted, disturbing and deep did the plot become.

Susan explored many different psychological issues with her characters and the long-term effects and scars some of those events might leave. Mr. Anderson sees only similarities between Jacob and himself, in that they both suffered unhappy childhoods. As much as I tried to feel any sympathy for Mr. Anderson, I really struggled. However Jacob had known what it was like to have two parents surrounding him with love, only to have that comfort and happiness so cruelly taken away from him, by a stepmother whose abuse is so focused that Jacob hasn’t reached out to anyone for help, because he has convinced himself that no one apart from the two of them, would ever believe what was going on. Despite their age disparity, I wonder if the two men were really were so different after all, or was the only common bond between them, the refuge of the library, where they both liked to be left alone with their thoughts. They are both on the outside of society and searching for something that is just out of reach. The need for acceptance, for love and family is something universal and yet their paths couldn’t be more different.

To raise any semblance of vim or energy from this disparate, complex bunch of dark and dour characters, was like wading through a sea of treacle and never reaching the shore to be able to escape its sticky clutches. Any kind of genuine emotion or synergy was lacking, other than the negative energy which oozed from every pore of their being, and the lies which tripped so glibly from their tongues. Each has secrets which they have become adept at hiding from everyone, making them highly unreliable and volatile. Even the police officers assigned to the case seemed to be excessively weighed down by the burden of the investigation and showed no real purpose or intent to solve the crimes, until a partial answer was delivered to their door and all but dropped into their laps with a written explanation. By then it had looked as though someone might be literally be about to ‘get away with murder’! Altogether, a well defined cast of characters, some of whom were more fully developed than others, none of whom were particularly compelling, but all of whom played their parts to perfection

I almost feel a bit mean in downgrading this one to 4* rather than the full 5. However, I was a little niggled by several grammatical and spelling errors in my download, which whilst not spoiling my overall enjoyment of the story, just showed a slight lack of attention to detail. If these small oversights were corrected in later versions, then I hope the author will accept my profound apologies.

Fantastic book to read. It slowly develops like a parcel unwrapping itself. Characters who you feel for but really shouldn’t. Very disturbing but one that sucks you in. Very well written

I would like to thank Aria Editions and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book. What first attracted me was the pretty cover of this book where you can see a snowy path, a baby on the ground and a catchphrase that made me want to read this book even more: "I love you, you love me, we are a happy family".

The story takes place in Stockport where a couple discovers a doll is found in Lyme Park and a body is found in the woods by the police. This doll has well sewn clothes and real hair. Do the two discoveries have a link in common?

A book read in one go, so much so that I hooked on the story, so addictive, captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns with very endearing characters.

This was a very interesting book but not for the reasons you would think. The murders feel very incidental to the character studies. Sure, one of the characters being developed is a murderer, but the murders themselves and their investigation is so far not the focus of the book that you are caught off guard when the investigators actually make an appearance, which I think they do a total of three times. Instead this is the story of a young boy dealing with the loss of his mother, the mental abuse from his stepmother, and his infatuation with a girl. Parallel to this is the story of a grown man dealing with the loss of and abuse from his mother and how this has impacted his personality. That felt a bit like Psycho. Oh yes, and the murders of a young girl and a few homeless people. So a good read unless you are expecting to follow along as a crime is being investigated.

I really enjoyed this book all the way through. It had a really good plot, great main characters and really keeps you hooked on the plot. I would highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed reading this psychological thriller. It had interesting characters and was well written so kept my interest throughout. Very dark.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during that 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

#LoveMetoDeath #NetGalley This has taken me a while to read - mainly because I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I found it very slow to get going and very repetitive in places. No real surprises as one of the killers was identified very early on and the other one wasn't difficult to guess at all. The ending was a bit lacklustre and left me feeling very disappointed. Sorry - unfortunately this book was not for me.

My thanks to Aria, Netgalley and Susan Gee.
Heck, I liked this book much more than I thought I would. Just goes to show that you can read all the reviews you want, but...
This whole tale was messed up! Not like messed up writing, but a messed up story. I loved it!
I'm not going to get into spoilers, but it's rare to find such a despicable "family man," yet have a soft spot. The family next door was a mess. I loved that kiddo.
I was a happy camper with the ending.
I plan on reading more from Ms. Gee.

This was an easy to read thriller that kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend

This is my first read by this author. Having read this I’ll be reading Kiss Her Goodbye as I enjoyed this story.

There’s certainly lots going on in Lyme Park. When the police found a young woman’s body and a creepy doll is found they wonder if it’s connected. There are two main characters in this story one of which, Jacob, my heart broke for him.

A good intriguing story that I liked.

I read, reviewed and loved Susan's debut novel which is called 'Kiss Me Goodbye'. I couldn't wait to read her second book. Well ladies, gents and children the wait is over because Susan's second book called 'Love Me To Death' was released on 14th May 2020. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Love Me To Death' but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn to this book from the author's name, the synopsis intrigued me and the story within the pages just sealed the deal. I had a feeling that this was going to be one of those books that I would find nigh on impossible to put down for any length of time. So it proved to be. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half an hour. Let's just say that I found myself reading for a lot longer than any half hour and I read way more than a couple of chapters. If I didn't have the book in my hands, I wanted the book in my hands, if I had to put the book down then I would immediately look forward to being able to pick the book up again. I even begrudged having to break off from reading to go and walk my two diva Labradors, which didn't go down well as you can imagine. I soon raced to the end of the story. 'Love Me To Death' was one of those unputdownable, page turner of a read, which had me gripped and left me on the edge of seat throughout the story.
'Love Me To Death' is really well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and then takes you one hell of an times unpredictable and scary journey through the worst of humanity. For me, 'Love Me To Death' was perfectly paced. The story hit the ground running and maintained a fairly fast pace throughout. There were more twists and turns to this story than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. I suspected I knew what was going to happen. Needless to say that when I read the book I had the wrong end of the stick and I was sent down another path entirely. Susan certainly knows how to keep you guessing. I felt as though I was part of the story in 'Love Me To Death' and that is all thanks to Susan's very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Love Me To Death' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will most definitely be reading more of Susan's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I read a lot of psychological thrillers which don't really meet the definition - "a thriller story which emphasizes the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states" - but this author has nailed it!

When the police find the body of a young woman in the woods as well as a crudely made doll in the local park, is there a connection or is it coincidence? Like ripples on a pond, the death affects many others - her cousin, the cousin's friends and the friends' families, their neighbours and indeed the wider community. As we follow their lives, we become embroiled in the goings on in several homes and begin to understand that a lot goes on behind closed doors.

Such a huge amount going on in this one! Very clever writing; I made assumptions based on what I thought was going on but Susan Gee would make a fantastic illusionist - her sleight of hand is first class. I became completely involved in the lives of all the characters, empathising and sympathising throughout. Did I see where it was going? Well, I though I did but in retrospect I didn't have a cat in hell's chance! A thoroughly good solid read which is beautifully written and totally beguiling. This is an accomplished and skilled novel which continued to surprise me right up until the very end. A stunning five star read and one which puts this author firmly on my 'must not miss' list!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and in particular to Vicky Joss for my spot on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

There are two main characters in this book, and the book is told from their perspectives. Mr Anderson is a loner, living in a house that everyone is calling a “freak house”, all he wants is his own family, and he is ready to kill for it. Jacob is a teenager, that has lost his mother and is bullied by his stepmother. Jacob has only one friend- Maggie, but after her cousin sister is murdered, he is about to lose her as well. The characters in this book were not my favourite ones, and I had difficulties in connecting with them. I liked Mr Anderson’s parts in this novel, I found his thoughts very amusing and very disturbed. The man is a very damaged personality, that is pretty dark and scary. Jacob’s parts in this book were very repetitive and dull, and I found myself skimming the text on many occasions.
The narrative of this book didn’t really have to offer anything. Yes, it discusses important topics, such as bullying, mental illness, loneliness, child abuse etc. But the way it was incorporated just didn’t work for me. The plot kind of plodded along, without any interesting twists or turns, and I didn’t feel any suspense whatsoever. I kept reading in hope of something major to happen, but it never did. :(
The writing style wasn’t to my liking as well, I feel the book was expanded with the repetitive thoughts about Maggie. The setting of the book felt dark and gloomy, as well as the characters. The chapters have a medium length but Jacob’s parts really dragged to me. The book has some gory details regarding murders, and creepy thoughts of a killer as well. I liked the ending of the book, it did leave me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book was not my cup of tea. I loved the killer, his strangeness and his thoughts, but other than that the characters and the plot felt bleak and boring.

Love Me To Death is a story of abuse and loneliness. Two people, one an adult and the other a young teen, both suffered and suffers abuse by a parent or ‘step-parent’. As a result these two damaged people just want a family and someone to love them.

Mr Anderson is making his own family and this is dark and distinctly creepy, when he befriends young Jacob, his neighbour, the tension builds and you wonder about his motives.

This is a slow burn of a tale that really draws you in with its emotion and you have empathy for the characters, even though one is a disturbing serial killer.

A tense, dark, thoughtful and utterly compelling read.

Thank you to Vicky at Head Of Zeus and NetGalley for an eARC of Love Me To Death. This is my honest and unbiased review.

Unsettling, disturbing and utterly chilling, Susan Gee’s latest thriller, Love Me to Death is a nerve-twisting tale that deftly explores loneliness, obsession and the darkness within.

Stockport is a town of misfits where unhappiness and discontent abounds. Frustrations and resentments regularly reach an all-time high and beneath the surface a bubbling cauldron of anger, sadness and vengeance is about to reach boiling point. When Mr Anderson’s elderly mother passed away, the loneliness and silence was unbearable. All he wants is a family of his own to stop him feeling so miserable and so alone. With his days stretching endlessly ahead of him, Mr Anderson vows to stop feeling so miserable and to claim a family of his own and with there being no time like the present, it looks like he is about to make his heart’s desire a reality. But what price will his new family cost him? Mr Anderson needs to tread carefully and keep his guard up because the consequences do not bear thinking about…

Jacob is madly in love with Maggie. Yet, his feelings are not reciprocated. Jacob would love nothing more than for Maggie to love him back, but this dream of his gets fainter and fainter with each passing day. All Maggie can think about are the Vincent twins and she barely gives Jacob a second thought. But Jacob will not give up on the woman he loves so easily. He is sure that Maggie can grow to love him if only she realises just how much he cares for her and he has come up with the perfect plan to show her how much he cares. Are Jacob’s dreams about to come true? Or is he setting himself up for heartbreak and disappointment?

Meanwhile, the body of a young woman is found in the woods in the same week as a crude handmade doll.
Are the two connected? Or is it just a conicidence? In a town where nothing is what it initially seems, everyone is a suspect and everyone has a reason to feel guilty.

A multi-layered spine-chiller that will send many a shiver down readers’ spines, Susan Gee’s Love Me to Death is a dark and twisted tale that will have readers quaking in their boots. Shocking, creepy and sinister, this ominous tale is brilliantly written and will hold readers on the edge of their seats desperate to uncover what is going to happen next.

A fantastic thriller that stands shoulder to shoulder with some of Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters’ classic tales of darkness and suspense, Susan Gee’s Love Me to Death is a gripping read that is definitely not for the faint-hearted!

Atmospheric and disturbing this story focuses on dark secrets and terrible deeds. The character-driven story explores the possible murder suspects with surprising results. Told from two male third-person perspectives it balances menace and poignancy well.

Horrific abuse and murder simmer under the surface of an ordinary town. The plot is easy to follow and enhances more complex characterisation.

The ending has realistic twists that resonate.

I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus via NetGalley in return for an honest review.